tpw 


^a/zees 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

^«*Y-' 

BEQUEST 

OF 
ANITA  D.  S.  BLAKE 


CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 


Miss  Frances  Simpson  and  her  Silver  Male  "Cambyses 
Gunn  &*  Stuart,  photo,  Richmond 


CATS 

AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 


BY 


FRANCES    SIMPSON 


WITH  TWENTY-FOUR  ILLUSTRATIONS 


NEW  YORK 

FREDERICK  A.  STOKES  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 


PUBLISHED  IN  SEPTEMBER,  i9°2 


GIFT 


TO 

THE  MANY  KIND  FRIENDS 
KNOWN  AND  UNKNOWN 

THAT  I  HAVE 
MADE  IN  PUSSYDOM 

I  DEDICATE 
THIS  LITTLE  BOOK 


DURDANS  HOUSE, 
ST.  MARGARET'S-ON-THAI 


113 


PREFACE 

IT  has  been  suggested  to  me  by  many  of  my  "catty" 
friends  that  I  should  write  a  small  handbook  for  cat 
fanciers.  By  arrangement  with  the  Kennel  Publishing 
Company  I  have  been  enabled  to  utilise  the  paragraphs  of 
Practical  Pussyology  which  have  appeared  during  the  last 
fifteen  months  in  Our  Cats.  I  have  had  many  years'  ex- 
perience with  cats  and  kittens,  and  have  also  a  real  love 
for  them,  without  which  I  do  not  believe  any  one  can  be  a 
successful  breeder  and  exhibitor  of  cats.  What  is  worth 
doing  at  all  is  worth  doing  well,  and  to  combine  profit  with 
pleasure  is  a  most  desirable  end  to  have  in  view.  The 
object,  therefore,  of  this  little  book  is  to  assist  cat  lovers  to 
become  cat  fanciers.  I  trust  that  it  may  be  found  helpful 
and  instructive. 


CONTENTS 

FACE 

I.  BREEDS  AND  VARIETIES  ...       »       *       .  17 

II.  CARE  AND  MANAGEMENT  .       •       •     •  *  '•      •       •  24 

PRACTICAL  HINTS 31 

III.  BREEDING  AND  EXHIBITING 53 

PRACTICAL  HINTS     .       •               ...  60 

IV.  DISEASES  AND  REMEDIES 77 

V.  CAT  CLUBS  AND  CAT  HOMES  .       ....  95 

VI.  MISCELLANEOUS       *       »       *       »              .       .  107 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


1.  COVER.  Design  by  Mrs.  Paul  Hardy 

2.  FRONTISPIECE.  Miss  Frances  Simpson  and  her  Silver  male 

Carabyses 

FACING 

PACK 

3.  GENTIAN.  A  lovely  Blue  female,  owned  by  Lady  Marcus 

Beresford,  and  bred  by  Mrs.  O'Brien  Clarke.  Her  sire 
was  Goliath,  a  superb  cat  for  size  and  colour.  Gentian 
was  a  prize-winner  at  Westminster  in  1899,  when  her 
marvellous  coat  excited  general  admiration  ...  17 

4.  IMPERIAL  BLUE  was  bred  by  Rev.  P.  L.  Cosway,  his  present 

owner,  from  Angela  and  Blue  Noble.  This  youngster 
has  already  made  a  name  for  himself  in  the  show  pen. 
He  was  born  August  soth,  1900,  and  took  prizes  at 
Castleford  and  Wakefield.  At  Slough,  1901,  he  carried 
off  the  special  for  the  soundest  coloured  Blue,  and  has 
since  gained  high  distinction  at  Manchester.  Imperial 
Blue  is  now  placed  at  stud  in  our  advertisements  for  the 
first  time 20 

5.  ROYAL  BOBS.    This  fine  Blue  male  was   bred  by  H.H. 

Princess  Victoria  of  Schleswig-Holstein  from  Lady 
Marcus  Beresford's  Blue  Boy  II.  and  Duschar.  He 
was  purchased  when  a  kitten  by  Mrs.  Collingwood, 
and  at  his  first  appearance  at  the  Botanical  Gardens, 
in  1901,  he  took  ist  in  the  Cat  and  ist  in  the  Kittten 
Class.  Since  then  he  has  taken  four  other  ist  prizes 
and  two  championships,  besides  many  specials.  Royal 
Bobs  is  a  dark  Slate  Blue,  but  very  sound  in  colour, 
with  a  beautifully  shaped  head  and  fine  eyes ...  24 

6.  OTHELLO,  as  his  name  denotes,  is  a  Black  Persian,  and 

claims  such  noted  cats  as  Beauty  Boy,  Lord  Albemarle 


xii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING 
PACK 

and  Peter  Fawe  among  his  ancestors.  Mr.  Robert  Little, 
who  is  famed  for  his  breed  of  beautiful  Blacks,  is  the 
possessor  of  Othello,  who  is  not  yet  a  year  old.  He  has 
done  a  lot  of  winning  already,  both  in  kitten  and  adult 
classes,  and  bids  fair  to  lead  the  way  in  the  Black 
classes  at  our  best  shows 28 

7.  PIQUANTE  PEARL  was  bred  by  Mrs.  Pettit  from  her  well- 

known  White  stud  cat  King  of  the  Pearls  and  Beautiful 
Pearl.  This  lovely  female  is  quite  the  most  beautiful 
specimen  of  a  long-haired  White  Persian,  having  glorious 
blue  eyes  with  a  full  coat  of  finest  texture.  Piquante  Pearl 
isawinner  of  numerous  istprizes,  championships,  medals, 
and  specials  at  the  Crystal  Palace  and  Westminster 
Shows.  Some  of  her  lovely  kittens  have  been  exported 
to  America 32 

8.  CHAMPION  BACKWELL  JOGRAM  is  the  only  Smoke  cham- 

pion and  the  winner  of  many  ist  prizes,  medals,  and 
specials.  At  the  Crystal  Palace  Show,  1901,  this  fine 
Persian  cat  won  the  special  offered  by  the  Duchess 
of  Bedford  for  the  best  Smoke  male  in  the  show.  Jogram 
is  owned  and  was  bred  by  Mrs.  H.  V.  James,  who  is 
one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  breeders  of  this  handsome 
variety.  He  has  sired  many  noted  winners,  and  is  much 
in  request  as  a  stud  cat  . 36 

9.  TEUFEL.  Mrs.  Sinkins  is  the  breeder  and  owner  of  this 

most  beautiful  Smoke  male,  who,  although  only  18 
months,  has  won  many  prizes.  Good  Smokes  of  his  type 
are  few  and  far  between.  His  colouring  is  perfect,  and 
his  face  and  head  quite  free  from  the  tabby  markings 
that  so  often  mar  the  beauty  of  this  breed.  Teufel 
greatly  distinguished  himself  at  the  Westminster 
Show,  1902,  where  he  won  the  Challenge  Cup,  Breeders' 
Cup,  ist  prize,  and  numerous  specials  .  .  .  .40 

IO.  CHAMPION  FULMER  ZAIDA  is  the  renowned  Silver  female 
owned  by  Lady  Decies.  This  cat  has  won  more  prizes 
than  any  other  in  the  Fancy,  numbering  over  150. 
Zaida  is  almost  an  unmarked  specimen,  and  her  colour 
is  wonderfully  pure.  She  has  carried  off  the  highest 
honours  at  all  the  leading  shows,  and  will  probably 
continue  to  win  whenever  exhibited  44 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xiii 

FACING 
PAGE 

11.  THE  ABSENT-MINDED  BEGGAR  is  a  fine  Silver  by  Lord 

Southampton  and  Dimity,  both  well-known  cats.  He 
is  unusually  pale  in  colour,  with  beautiful  gi;een  eyes. 
Mrs.  Nield,  of  Bowden,  now  owns  the  Beggar,  who 
is  greatly  in  request  as  a  sire.  His  kittens  inherit  his 
beautiful  qualities  of  coat  and  colour  ....  48 

12.  LORD  HAMPTON,  another  Silver,  is  also  an  inmate  of  the 

Hart  Hill  Cattery,  and  was  purchased  by  Mrs.  Nield  from 
Mrs.  Davies,  of  Caterham.  As  a  kitten  this  lovely  Silver 
greatly  distinguished  himself,  taking  many  prizes.  He 
has  a  grand-shaped  head,  but  was  out  of  coat  when  the 
photo,  which  we  reproduce,  was  taken.  Lord  Hampton 
has  sired  some  splendid  kittens  .....  52 

13.  SILVER   STARLIGHT    is    the   property  of   Miss  Snell,  of 

Wimbledon.  This  Silver  male  cat  is  beautifully  pure 
in  colour.  He  distinguished  himself  at  the  Crystal 
Palace,  1900;  Brighton,  1900;  and  at  Westminster, 
1901,  he  made  a  great  name  for  himself  by  winning  the 
Challenge  Cup  and  numerous  special  prizes.  Amongst 
his  progeny  may  be  mentioned  Puck  III.,  a  winning 
kitten,  now  in  the  possession  of  H.H.  Princess 
Victoria  of  Schleswig-Holstein 56 

14.  LORD  NUGENT  is  a  well-known  shaded  Silver  male  belong- 

ing to  Mrs.  Ormerod,  who  is  a  most  successful  breeder 
of  Silvers  and  Smokes.  He  is  the  son  of  Lord  Argent. 
The  Silver  Lambkin  and  Lord  Southampton  are  his 
grandparents.  He  has  taken  several  ist  and  2nd  prizes, 
and  sired  many  noted  winners ;  amongst  others  may  be 
mentioned  Maritana,  the  perfect  Smoke,  purchased  by 
Mr.  Cosway.  Lord  Nugent  has  a  fine  head,  and  is 
unusually  massive  in  build  for  a  Silver  ....  60 

15.  TORRINGTON    SuNNYSiDES.     This  rich-coloured    Orange 

male  is  the  property  of  Mrs.  Vidal,  of  Sydenham,  and 
was  bred  by  her.  He  is  by  Champion  Bundle  and 
Torrington  Owlet,  and  was  born  in  1899.  He  has  gained 
many  prizes,  and  at  Westminster  Show,  1902,  he  won 
the  Challenge  and  Breeders'  Cup,  Silver  Medal,  and 
several  specials  .  .....  64 


xiv  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING 
PAGE 

16.  CHAMPION  ROMALDKIRK  ADMIRAL,  one  of  Miss  Winifred 

Beal's  celebrated  Heavenly  Twins.  This  grand  Cream 
stud  cat  has  never  been  beaten  in  his  class,  except  by 
his  brother.  His  prize-winning  record  is  too  long  for 
insertion.  This  cat  is  in  the  proud  position  of  being  a 
Champion  in  the  N.C.C.  and  the  C.C.,  having  carried 
off  no  less  than  14  Championships.  Matthew,  of  The 
Durhams,  a  well-known  winning  Cream,  is  sired  by 
the  twin-brother  Midshipmite 68 

17.  CHAMPION  ROYAL  YUM  YUM  is  one  of  the  best  Tortoiseshell 

queens  in  the  Fancy.  Her  colouring  is  well  broken,  and 
she  is  a  beautifully  formed  cat  Miss  Kate  Sangster, 
her  owner,  has  won  many  prizes  with  her  at  all  the 
leading  shows.  Very  poor  justice  can  be  given  to  this 
special  breed  in  a  photograph,  as  the  beauty  of  a  Tor- 
toiseshell chiefly  consists  in  the  equal  distribution  of 
the  three  colours 70 

18.  CHAMPION  PERSIMMON  is  the  celebrated  Brown  Tabby 

Persian,  owned  by  Miss  Frances  Simpson.  He  is  perfect 
in  shape,  with  an  immense  head,  short  snub  nose,  and 
tiny  well-placed  ears.  He  was  purchased  by  his  present 
owner  at  Brighton  Show,  1898.  Since  then  he  has  won 
whenever  shown,  and  is  now  a  Champion  in  both  the 
N.C.C.  and  C.C.  Clubs.  He  has  sired  a  long  list  of 
beautiful  brown  Tabby  prize-winning  kittens  .  74 

19.  CHAMPION  BALLOCHMYLE  BROTHER  BUMP.    This  grand 

Short-haired  Blue  (commonly  called  Russian)  is  the 
property  of  Lady  Alexander,  and  has  won  a  first  prize 
whenever  he  has  appeared  in  a  show  pen,  and,  curiously 
enough,  each  time  under  a  different  judge.  He  won  the 
Challenge  Cup  at  Westminster  in  1900,  and  since  then 
three  championships  at  N.C.C.  Shows.  He  is  beautiful 
in  colour,  has  a  well-shaped  head,  and  grand  orange 
eyes 

20.  CHAMPION  WANKEE,  the  noted  Siamese,  is  owned  by  Mrs. 

Robinson,  of  West  Kensington,  who  has  always  been  an 
enthusiastic  and  successful  breeder  of  Siamese.  He  has 
won  over  30  prizes,  and  sired,  among  other  notable 
kittens,  Beba,  Menelik,  Sam  Sly,  and  Chaseley  Robin, 
all  winners  of  championships  ...... 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xv 

PACING 
PAGB 

21.  TIAM-O'-SHIAN  IV.  is  another  Siamese  of  high  repute,  the 

property  of  Mrs.  Vyvyan,  who  bred  him ;  but  Tiam 
resides  with  Mrs.  Parker  Brough  whilst  his  owner  is 
abroad.  He  is  a  magnificent  type  of  Siamese,  even  in 
colour,  with  deep  seal]  points.  He  comes  from  Miss 
Forestier- Walker's  celebrated  strain ;  and  amongst  his 
progeny  may  be  mentioned  Champion  Eve,  Suzanne, 
and  Kitya  Hara  .  86 

22.  BRANDON  QUEEN  CHEETAH  is  a  lovely  Brown  Tabby  short- 

haired  cat,  belonging  to  Mrs.  Bernard  Wentworth.  This 
puss  is  well  and  distinctly  marked,  and  rich  in  colour. 
One  of  her  kittens,  Brandon  Tommykins,  took  high 
honours  at  Westminster  Show  in  1901  ....  90 

23.  MANX  SILVERWING,  a  quaintly  marked  little  Silver  Tabby, 

formerly  owned  by  Mr.  Foalstone.  At  the  Manchester 
N.C.C.C.  Show  she  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Ward,  of 
Longsight.  Silverwing  has  won  many  prizes,  and  calls 
forth  great  admiration  whenever  exhibited  .  •  •94 

24.  PERSIMMON  LADDIE,  a  sable  Neuter  by  Persimmon  and 

Birkdale  Fina,  is  the  great  pet  of  Miss  Rosamound 
Whitney,  an  Irish  fancier,  who  is  an  enthusiastic 
admirer  of  Brown  Tabbies.  Laddie  took  highest  honours 
at  the  Northern  Cat  Club's  Show  at  Manchester,  1901, 
and  was  justly  admired  for  his  gorgeous  colouring  and 
marvellous  coat.  Laddie  took  special  for  the  best  Tabby 
Neuter  at  Westminster,  1902,  and  first  at  Liverpool,  1902  98 

25.  BONNIE  BOY.    This  promising  young  Blue  is  owned  by 

Miss  Frances  Simpson,  and  was  exhibited  by  her  at  the 
Crystal  Palace,  1901,  when  at  four  months  old  he  took 
2nd  prize  in  a  class  of  39  kittens,  the  limit  age  being 
eight  months.  Bonnie  Boy  was  also  awarded  a  special 
prize  for  the  best  orange  eyes  in  the  kitten  classes.  He 
is  from  Miss  Patterson's  celebrated  strain  of  Blue 
Persians,  and  his  mother  is  a  Black,  owned  by  Mrs. 
H.  B.  Thompson.  The  photo  was  taken  when  he  was 
three  months  old  ........  xoa 


BREEDS  AND  VARIETIES 


I  DO  not  intend  to  discuss  the  ancient  history  of  cats,  or  to 
raise  the  question  as  to  whether  they  were  amongst  the 
animals  who  entered  the  Ark ;  nor  is  it  necessary  to  allude 
to  the  Wise  Men  of  the  East  who  worshipped  the  cat  as  a 
deity  :  I  wish  rather  to  confine  my  remarks  to  cats  as  they 
are  known  to-day.  Of  these,  then,  there  are  two  distinctive 
breeds,  viz.,  the  Long-haired  or  Persian  Cats,  and  Short- 
haired  or  English  and  Foreign  Cats. 

In  both  long-  and  short-haired  breeds  there  are  "  self- 
coloured,"  "broken-coloured"  and  "any  other  coloured" 
varieties.  Apart  from  the  length  and  texture  of  fur,  the 
points  of  the  animals  are  practically  the  same,  whether  long- 
or  short-haired.  They  should  be  cobby  in  build  and  short 
on  the  legs,  the  head  should  be  round  and  broad,  eyes  large 
and  full,  nose  short,  ears  small  and  wide  apart.  So  much  for 
the  general  contour  of  the  cat. 

With  the  majority  of  fanciers  the  long-haired  cats  are 
the  most  popular.  I  will  start  with  the  self-coloured  long- 
haired cats,  viz.,  Black,  White,  and  Blue. 

I  do  not  think  sufficient  attention  or  admiration  is  given 
to  Black  Persians,  and  very  few  fanciers  have  taken  up  this 
handsome  breed.  The  Black  Class  is  generally  the  worst 
filled  at  our  Shows,  and  yet  a  black  cat  is  said  to  bring  luck, 
and  a  black  cat  does  not  show  the  dirt !  In  the  early  days 
of  the  Fancy,  the  question  of  eyes  was  one  left  in  abeyance, 
but  now  we  have  a  special  standard  for  each  breed,  and 
blacks  must  have  orange  or  even  amber  eyes  to  find  favour 

B 


1 8  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

with  the  cat  critique  and  judge.  Then,  again,  a  white  spot 
at  the  threat  was  not  formerly  considered  a  very  damaging 
blemish,  but  nowadays  even  a  few  stray  white  hairs  may  be 
a  cause  of  disqualification.  At  certain  times  of  the  year  this 
breed  shows  signs  of  lustiness  and  a  brown  tinge  mars  its 
beauty,  but  when  in  full  coat  the  colour  should  be  black  as 
coal  with  a  shining  glossiness  on  the  silky  fur. 

A  White  Persian  Cat,  with  correct  blue  eyes,  in  full  coat 
and  spotlessly  clean,  is  indeed  a  "  thing  of  beauty,"  but  let 
no  one  try  to  keep  one  of  this  breed  unless  they  live  in  the 
country.  A  white  cat  soiled  is  a  white  cat  spoiled,  and  I 
have  known  a  famous  prize-winner  put  down  by  the  judge 
on  account  of  its  dirty  condition.  A  peculiarity  of  this 
breed  is  that  the  cats  are  frequently  deaf.  It  is  also  the 
only  breed  which  sports  odd  eyes,  and  in  almost  every 
litter  of  whites  one  or  more  of  these  curious  freaks  will 
appear. 

And  now  to  turn  our  attention  to  Blues,  that  lovely  breed 
which  has  become  so  deservedly  popular.  I  exhibited  the 
first  pair  of  Blues  at  the  Crystal  Palace  many  years  ago,  and 
ever  since  we  have  lived  and  loved  together !  I  am  now 
the  Hon.  Sec.  of  the  Blue  Persian  Cat  Society,  with  nearly 
two  hundred  members.  At  all  the  Shows  the  entries  of 
Blues  outnumber  all  other  classes,  and  there  is  a  greater 
demand  for  Blue  kittens  than  for  any  other  colour. 

When  Blues  were  first  started  the  colour  was  decidedly 
darker  than  at  present ;  it  was  a  slate  blue,  but  of  late  years 
fanciers  have  been  striving  to  obtain  a  paler  tone.  I  think, 
however,  that  the  "  happy  medium "  is  the  best.  In  the 
standard  for  Blues  the  largest  number  of  points  is  given  for 
soundness  of  colour,  and  it  is  most  essential  that  no  shadings 
or  markings  should  appear  in  these  cats,  which  should  be 
absolutely  level  in  colour  throughout.  It  is  only  in  recent 
years  that  fashion  and  custom  have  decreed  that  Blue  Per- 
sians must  have  orange  eyes.  Certainly  they  tone  best  with 
the  colour  of  their  coat,  and  greatly  enhance  the  beauty  of 
heir  appearance.  It  is  a  pity,  however,  to  sacrifice  other 
essential  points  to  this  one  feature.  Judges  are  sometimes 
inclined  to  put  down  a  fine  specimen  which  has  every  point 
in  its  favour  except  the  orange  eyes.  I  advise  that,  if  you 
possess  a  grand-shaped,  fine-coated  Blue  with  green  eyes, 


BREEDS  AND  VARIETIES  19 

find  a  mate  with  deep  amber  eyes,  and  keep  your  green- 
eyed  puss  away  from  Shows  !  Blues  may  be  considered  a 
fairly  hardy  breed  of  Persian,  and  they  make  lovely  pets. 

Smokes  are  rather  a  neglected  variety,  and  may  be  said 
to  be  a  mixture  of  the  three  self-coloured  breeds — black, 
white  and  blue.  A  perfect  Smoke  is  most  difficult  to  breed, 
and  unfortunately  for  only  a  short  time  during  the  year  do 
they  keep  their  good  looks.  When  they  shed  their  coats 
Smokes  are  often  transformed  into  bad  Blacks,  and  this  is 
disappointing,  and  specially  vexatious  to  the  fanciers  who 
desire  to  exhibit  their  cats  frequently.  The  points  of  the 
Smokes  have  been  keenly  discussed  in  catty  circles  and 
Specialist  Clubs.  Their  coats  should  be  dark  cinder-colour, 
shading  to  white  with  a  light  raff  and  ear-tufts ;  eyes  amber. 
Of  late  years  attempts  have  been  made  to  cross  Smokes 
with  Silvers  and  Blues,  but  I  consider  that  Smokes  should 
only  be  mated  with  Smokes  to  keep  the  correct  colour  and 
points. 

And  now  for  the  consideration  of  Silvers,  commonly  called 
Chinchillas,  otherwise  named  Shaded-silvers,  and  very  often 
labelled  "  Wrong  Class  "  !  To  novices  in  the  Farley  this  may 
sound  a  little  mixed,  so  let  me  explain.  TheSe  beautiful 
cats  have  been  through  stormy  waters,  so  to  speak.  A 
Specialist  Society  was  started  last  year  for  this  breed  which 
also  included  Silver  Tabbies  and  Smokes.  The  Silvers  were 
subdivided  into  Self-silvers  and  Shaded-silvers.  As,  how- 
ever, no  Self-silver  has  yet  been  born  or  bred,  there  was 
naturally  a  difficulty  in  filling  any  class  set  apart  for  these 
particular  specimens  at  the  Shows.  So  the  lightest  Silvers 
were  considered  eligible,  and  then  came  the  difficulty  for  ex- 
hibitor and  judge  to  draw  the  line  between  the  two  varieties, 
and  to  decide  what  degree  of  paleness  constituted  a  Self- 
silver  (so-called)  and  what  amount  of  dark  markings  would 
relegate  the  specimen  into  the  Shaded-silver  class.  Natur- 
ally it  became  a  Silver  puzzle  and  a  Silver  muddle.  Exhibitors 
waxed  wroth  and  judges  became  exasperated.  Then  the 
term  "Self-silver"  was  abandoned,  but  the  endeavour  to  breed 
a  Silver  without  any  shadings  or  marking  is  still  the  height 
and  ambition  of  many  a  fancier  of  this  beautiful  breed. 
There  is  a  great  fascination  about  these  Silver  Persians,  but 
they  have  been  so  inbred  of  late  years  that  great  delicacy  has 


20  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

resulted,  and  many  a  tale  of  woe  has  reached  me  concerning 
the  difficulty  of  rearing  Silver  kittens.  But  I  feel  sure  better 
times  are  in  store  for  this  breed,  and  certainly  Silvers  vie 
with  Blues  in  popularity.  The  points  of  a  Silver  cat  may  be 
summed  up  thus  :  A  pale  shade  of  silver  as  free  from 
shadings  and  tabby  markings  as  possible ;  eyes  green.  For 
some  time  it  was  considered  that  Silvers  might  have  either 
orange,  yellow,  or  green  eyes,  but  now  the  highest  authorities 
in  the  Silver  Society  incline  towards  green  eyes.  I  think 
judges  in  general  give  their  verdict  in  favour  of  this  colour, 
and  I  am  sure  they  all  desire  only  one  class  for  Silvers  and  to 
keep  them  as  distinct  as  possible  from  Silver  Tabbies  ;  the 
one  class,  namely,  Silvers,  to  be  as  free  from  markings  as  pos- 
sible, and  the  Silver  Tabbies  to  have  clearly  denned  black 
markings  on  a  pure  silver  ground  work.  It  is  these  markings 
that  give  the  distinguishing  feature  to  the  beautiful  breed  of 
Silver  Tabbies.  I  admire  the  splashed-type  more  than  the 
delicately  pencilled  variety.  There  are  very  few  really  good 
specimens  in  the  Fancy,  and  it  is  a  great  pity  some  of  our 
clever  breeders  do  not  take  up  Silver  Tabbies  and  try  to  pre- 
vent them  from  being  crossed  with  nondescript  Silvers, 
thus  weakening  the  markings  and  damaging  the  breed. 

I  think  it  is  generally  known  in  the  Fancy  that  I  am  par- 
tial to  Brown  Tabbies,  and  truly  I  believe  they  occupy  the 
warmest  corner  of  my  cat-loving  heart ;  perhaps,  because  I 
first  started  with  a  Brownie,  or  possibly  because  they  have 
been  a  very  looked-down-upon  breed.  However,  as  every 
dog  has  his  day,  so  I  hope  a  good  time  is  coming  for  this 
truly  handsome  type  of  cat,  so  suggestive  of  a  tiger.  In  build 
Brown  Tabbies  ought  to  be  decidedly  large  and  massive. 
The  groundwork  should  be  a  rich  tawny  colour,  with  dark 
black  markings  very  clearly  defined  ;  the  legs  evenly  barred, 
and  distinct  rings  round  the  neck,  like  so  many  chains. 
What  are  generally  exhibited  as  Brown  Tabbies  lack  the 
orange  or  golden  tone,  and  have  too  much  drab  or  grey  in 
their  colouring.  The  eyes  should  be  yellow  or  orange.  Any 
white  in  Tabby  cats  is  a  decided  blemish. 

There  is  a  tendency  now  to  breed  Orange  cats  with  tabby 
heads  and  legs  and  self-coloured  bodies.  This  seems  a 
mistake.  No  doubt  an  entire  Orange  cat  without  any  mark- 
ings would  be  very  handsome,  and  perhaps  some  of  our 


I! 


BREEDS   AND  VARIETIES  21 

enthusiastic  Orange  fanciers  may  succeed  in  breeding  such  a 
cat,  and  also  produce  blue  eyes !  At  present  the  classifica- 
tion generally  stands  for  Orange  cats,  marked  or  unmarked. 
The  colour  of  the  eyes  should  be  a  bronze  gold,  or  hazel 
brown.  Orange  females  are  much  rarer  than  Orange  males. 

Cream  Persians  are  very  much  to  the  fore  now,  but  the 
name  is  suggestive  of  a  cat  much  paler  in  colour  than  those 
seen  in  the  Show  pens.  These  cats  should  be  as  self- 
coloured  as  possible,  without  tabby  markings  or  shadings. 
They  are  often  rather  patchy  in  colour,  and  lean  towards 
fawn  rather  than  cream.  Their  eyes  should  be  the  same 
golden  or  hazel  colour  as  in  the  Orange  breed. 

It  is  seldom  a  really  good  specimen  of  a  Tortoiseshell 
is  seen.  These  tricolour  cats  of  black,  orange  and  yellow 
should  be  patched,  just  like  the  marks  in  a  piece  of  tortoise- 
shell.  There  should  be  no  streaks,  stripes  or  tabby  mark- 
ings in  a  good  Tortoiseshell  cat,  and  the  colours  should  be 
well  broken  and  evenly  distributed  over  the  body,  head  and 
legs.  The  brighter  colours  should  predominate,  and  no 
white  is  permissible. 

To  novices  only  in  the  Fancy  need  I  remark,  that  Tortoise- 
shell  Tom  cats  are  extremely  rare.  Tortoiseshell  and  white 
long-haired  cats  are  by  no  means  common.  Most  of  those 
exhibited  have  too  much  white  about  them,  and  might  justly 
be  called  White  and  Tortoiseshell.  To  be  correct,  the  black, 
orange  and  white  should  be  evenly  balanced,  and  the  chest 
and  nose  should  always  be  white,  with  patches  of  colour  on 
either  side  of  the  face. 

And  now  to  consider  the  Short-haired  breeds.  My  re- 
marks as  to  the  Black,  White  and  Tabby  long-haired  cats 
equally  apply  to  the  short-haired  varieties.  The  Blacks 
must  have  no  white,  and  the  Whites  be  pure  in  colouring. 
The  eyes  of  the  former  should  be  orange,  and  of  the  latter 
blue.  It  will  be  easily  understood  that  the  markings  in  the 
Tabby  short-haired  cats  are  much  more  vivid  and  distinct 
than  in  the  long-haired  breeds.  There  are  also  *  Spotted 
Tabbies,  but  they  are  rare.  In  these  there  should  be  no 
lines  whatever — not  even  rings.  The  more  the  spots  appear 

*  Strictly,  of  course,  this  is  a  contradiction  in  terms,  for  "  Tabby  " 
means  "Striped."  Still  the  name  "Spotted  Tabby"  has  become 
established  and  is  intelligible. 


22  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

to  the  exclusion  of  any  other  markings  the  better  the  speci- 
men. I  have  never  seen  or  heard  of  an  Orange-spotted 
Tabby. 

The  commonest  of  all  cats  are  Short-haired  Tabbies  and 
Whites,  and  Blacks  and  Whites.  We  see  these  specimens 
on  many  doorsteps.  The  markings  are  sometimes  quite 
grotesque  in  their  distribution.  It  seems  almost  a  pity  to 
so  far  encourage  these  cats  as  to  give  classes  for  them  at 
our  Shows.  The  "  Any  other  colour  "  class  is  set  apart  in 
both  the  long-  and  short-haired  sections  for  this  description 
of  cat,  and  for  those  that  cannot  really  be  properly  classed, 
such  as  very  light  Smokes,  Tortoiseshell  Tabbies,  and  Blue 
Tabbies.  Formerly  Self-coloured  cats  with  white  spots  were 
entered  also  in  this  class,  but  it  has  wisely  been  decided 
that  these  must  take  their  chance  in  their  own  classes.  The 
Blue  Short-haired  cat,  commonly  called  Russian,  has  a  coat 
resembling  plush  in  texture.  These  cats  are  supposed  to 
have  first  come  from  Archangel,  but  the  best  authorities 
seem  to  agree  in  believing  they  are  not  a  distinct  breed,  and 
therefore  they  are  now  classed  at  our  Shows  amongst  the 
short-haired  English  varieties.  Blues  should  have  deep 
orange  eyes,  and  the  colour  of  coat  may  be  light  or  dark, 
but  must  be  even  throughout,  without  any  appearance  of 
stripes  or  markings.  A  v*  hite  spot,  as  in  other  self-coloured 
cats,  is  a  blemish. 

The  interest  in  Manx  cats  is  rapidly  and  surely  increasing. 
These  quaint  pussies  are  very  intelligent,  faithful  and  affec- 
tionate,bu  t  I  must  confess  the  love  of  this  particular  breed 
appears  to  me  to  be  an  acquired  taste.  The  first,  and  all- 
essential  point,  is  that  a  Manx  cat  should  have  absolutely 
no  tail:  one  should  be  able  to  feel  where  the  backbone 
ends.  Some  Manx  cats  have  a  tuft  of  skin  or  hair,  or  a 
stump,  but  such  appendages  count  against  these  specimens 
in  the  Show  pen.  The  fur  of  the  Manx  cat  is  longer  and 
softer  than  is  found  in  the  ordinary  short-haired  cat ;  its  hind 
legs  resemble  those  of  a  rabbit ;  and  the  absence  of  tail  gives 
an  appearance  of  still  greater  length  of  limb.  Self-coloured 
Manx  cats  are  much  rarer  than  Tabbies,  and  I  know  of  a 
Tortoiseshell  Manx — needless  to  say,  a  female. 

Perhaps  the  most  difficult  cat  to  breed  and  rear  in  this 
country  is  the  Siamese.  Some  fanciers  declare  these  cats 


BREEDS   AND   VARIETIES  23 

cannot  stand  our  climate,  and  others  attribute  their  great 
delicacy  to  those  terrible  pests — worms — to  which  this  breed 
is  very  subject.  Certain  it  is  that  breeders  of  Siamese  have 
much  to  contend  with  and  many  disappointments  to  suffer. 
The  Royal  Cat  of  Siam,  so  called  from  the  original  breed 
being  kept  in  the  Palace  of  the  King  of  Siam,  is  one  of  the 
most  fascinating  cats  to  keep  as  a  pet.  They  have  wonder- 
ful intelligence,  and  seem  to  have  great  powers  of  attaching 
themselves  to  human  beings.  In  colouring  they  resemble 
pug-dogs,  When  born  they  are  nearly  white,  and  gradually 
turn  a  pale  fawn.  Their  ears,  muzzle,  tail  and  legs  should 
deepen  to  a  dense  brown  chocolate  colour.  The  markings 
of  the  ears  should  be  sharp  and  distinct.  The  eyes  should 
be  a  lovely  bright  blue,  large  and  round.  On  the  question 
as  to  whether  the  tail  of  a  Siamese  cat  should  be  kinked  or 
not  kinked,  no  two  opinions  appear  to  agree,  though  H.M. 
the  King  of  Siam  is  quoted  as  saying  they  ought  not  to  be. 
A  rather  strange  characteristic  of  this  breed  is  the  tendency 
to  darken  in  coat  as  they  grow  in  age.  For  this  reason  it  is 
well  to  have  the  classes  at  Shows  divided  according  to  age. 
Siamese  cats  may  be  said  to  be  in  their  prime  at  a  year  old ; 
after  this  their  colouring  becomes  blurred. 

The  only  other  foreign  cat  that  calls  for  attention  is  the 
Abyssinian  or  Bunny  cat,  and  it  is  not  often  that  specimens 
are  exhibited  at  our  Shows.  We  have  no  special  fanciers  of 
this  breed.  The  fur  has  a  groundwork  of  reddish-brown 
ticked  with  darker  brown  markings.  The  coat  should  be 
close  and  soft. 

The  "Maltese"  (Short-haired  Blue)  cat  of  the  United 
States  is  not  known  by  that  name  in  England,  nor  has  the 
American  "coon  cat"  or  the  Mexican  hairless  cat  yet  been 
seen  on  our  Show  benches.  References  to  the  two  former  of 
these  will  be  found  on  a  later  page. 


II 

CARE  AND   MANAGEMENT 


THOSE  who  have  had  a  long  experience  with  cats  or  kittens 
know  how  impossible  it  is  to  lay  down  a  hard-and-fast  rule 
regarding  their  feeding  and  management.  As  with  human 
beings  so  it  is  with  cats.  They  have  their  likes  and  dislikes, 
their  dispositions  vary,  and  their  constitutions  are  totally 
different.  If  we  wish  our  pets  to  thrive  we  must  study  them 
individually,  not  collectively.  There  is  a  saying  that  "what 
is  one  man's  meat  is  another  man's  poison,"  and  I  have  known 
some  kittens  to  grow  fat  and  look  well  on  food  on  which 
others  have  dwindled  away. 

It  is  a  mistake  for  a  novice  to  start  with  a  large  number  of 
cats,  for  failure  is  sure  to  follow.  Two  good  females  is 
enough  to  begin  with,  and  these  would  probably  be  indoor 
pets. 

Kittens  are  no  trouble  to  "  settle  down,"  but  with  grown 
cats  it  is  very  different,  and  it  is  well  to  find  out  from  pussy's 
late  owner  whether  she  has  been  a  house  pet  or  cattery  cat, 
as  well  as  her  favourite  diet,  and  whether  she  had  been  used 
to  sawdust  or  earth  in  her  sanitary-pan.  Her  happiness  on 
entering  a  new  home  depends  greatly  on  her  own  disposition. 
Some  cats  do  not  seem  to  mind  a  change  of  abode  and 
ownership  in  the  least,  and  are  most  affectionate  and 
demonstrative  on  being  liberated  from  the  basket.  They 
will  eat  anything  that  is  placed  before  them.  Unhappily 
there  are  others  that,  as  soon  as  they  find  themselves  in  a 
strange  place,  are  frightened  and  miserable,  and  will  rush 
into  the  farthest  and  darkest  corner  of  the  room  under  a 


Mrs.  Collingwoods  "Royal  Bobs 
Charles,  photo,  London 


CARE  AND  MANAGEMENT  25 

chair  or  sofa.  It  is  kindest  in  these  cases  to  leave  puss 
alone  for  some  time ;  then  try  by  gentle  persuasion  to  coax 
her  out  of  her  hiding-place  with  a  saucer  of  milk  or  some 
"  tit-bit."  She  may  refuse  all  food  for  two  or  three  days, 
but  before  long  she  will  get  accustomed  to  her  new  sur- 
roundings, and  at  the  end  of  a  week  or  ten  days  will  probably 
be  perfectly  happy  and  contented. 

Of  course,  for  the  first  few  days  it  will  be  necessary  to 
keep  windows  and  doors  shut,  and  to  show  her  constantly 
the  pan  she  is  to  use — or  to  take  her  into  the  garden,  so  as 
to  teach  clean  habits.  If,  when  she  is  in  the  garden,  you 
find  she  has  made  a  sudden  dart,  do  not  attempt  to  chase 
her ;  it  is  the  worst  thing  you  can  do.  Wait  until  she  is 
inclined  to  stop  and  look  about ;  then  call  her  gently.  You 
will  probably  find  she  does  not  want  to  run  away.  But  be 
careful  how  you  take  her  up.  Some  cats  will  not  be  handled, 
and  will  struggle  and  fight  and  scratch  and  bite,  but  a  cat 
cannot  escape  if  you  catch  her  by  the  skin  at  the  back  of  the 
neck.  I  do  not  mean  that  you  should  keep  her  in  a  hang- 
ing position,  but  your  right  hand  would  be  holding  her  neck 
as  you  nurse  her  in  your  left  arm.  Cats  are  naturally  timid, 
and  it  is  curious  to  note  what  antipathy  they  have  as  a  rule 
to  men,  though  they  will  grow  as  devoted  to  a  master  as  to 
a  mistress.  But  a  strange  man's  step  fills  them  with  alarm. 

The  golden  rules  to  observe  in  the  feeding  of  cats  are 
Regularity  and  Moderation.  An  authority  on  cats  recently 
told  me  that  the  primary  cause  of  the  majority  of  the  ills 
that  the  cat  is  subject  to  is  over-feeding,  and  the  conse- 
quent over-taxation  of  the  digestive  organs.  Two  solid  meals 
a  day  besides  milk  twice,  are  quite  sufficient  for  any  ordinary 
cat  (nursing  mothers  and  young  kittens  excepted — of  which  I 
will  speak  later).  For  breakfast  a  solid  meal  of  some  "  food  " 
such  as  The  Phoenix  Food,  Melox,  and  those  prepared  by 
"Salvo,"  Freeman,  and  Mellin;  any  of  these  given  hot 
make  a  delightful  breakfast.  Porridge  and  fish  or  fish  and 
rice  are  very  much  appreciated — and  if  you  wish  to  flavour 
equally  any  of  the  "  food,"  it  is  a  good  plan  to  get  the  fish 
and  put  it  on  a  dish  and  pour  some  boiling  milk  or  water 
on  it ;  then  mash  up  the  fish  with  a  fork  and  pour  the  fish  and 
milk  (or  fish  and  water,  as  the  case  may  be)  over  the"  food," 
biscuit,  rice  or  oatmeal  porridge ;  then  mix  well  together  to 


26  CATS  AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

give  the  whole  food  a  fishy  flavour.  For  supper  give  a 
meat  meal — raw  meat,  horseflesh,  liver,  tripe,  rabbit,  or 
lights — but  do  not  give  lights  constantly  if  any  lung  trouble 
is  suspected  among  your  pets.  Where  several  cats  are  kept 
it  is  advisable  to  get  a  mincing-machine,  as  not  only  does  it 
save  considerable  time,  but  the  food  finely  minced  is  much 
more  digestible  than  cut  up  meat,  however  small.  Green 
vegetables  should  be  given  in  moderation,  as  they  act  as  a 
blood  purifier.  Every  care  should  be  taken  not  to  give  food 
that  is  the  least  tainted.  For  growing  cats  or  kittens  that 
may  be  at  all  weak  in  their  limbs,  lime-water  is  indispensable, 
as  it  gives  strength  and  forms  bone.  A  dessert-spoonful  of 
lime-water  in  milk  should  be  given  to  cats,  and  a  little  less 
to  kittens.  In  the  spring  of  the  year  a  pinch  of  sulphur 
powder  (the  black  for  preference)  should  be  mixed  with  the 
first  meal  of  the  day  twice  a  week,  as  a  preventive  of  skin 
troubles. 

On  no  account  should  you  allow  your  queen  to  mate 
more  than  twice  in  the  year,  nor  should  these  litters  follow 
too  closely — as  it  is  a  strain  on  the  mother,  besides  making 
her  dreadfully  thin ;  and  it  must  be  remembered  that  this 
will  affect  the  kittens,  making  them  weakly  and  delicate. 
Gestation  lasts  nine  weeks  (sixty-three  days),  but  cats  often 
go  three  days  and  even  longer  beyond  that  time.  As  the  day 
for  the  "  accouchement "  approaches,  it  is  as  well  to  give  a 
small  dose  of  oil  or  to  feed  on  sardines  as  the  bowels  should 
be  kept  well  opened.  The  bed  should  be  made  a  week 
or  more  beforehand  and  be  shown  to  "  Madame  "  for  her 
approval.  It  is  best  to  have  a  box — fairly  high  so  as  to  keep  out 
all  draughts,  yet  not  high  enough  to  prove  an  inconvenience 
to  puss  each  time  she  jumps  in  and  out.  Hay  is  nicest  to  put 
in  the  box — and  a  little  insect  powder  should  be  sprinkled 
underneath.  After  the  kittens  have  arrived  a  piece  of 
blanket  on  the  hay  is  much  appreciated  by  the  mother,  but 
neither  she  nor  her  kittens  should  be  handled  for  at  least 
twenty-four  hours. 

If  it  is  a  first  litter  or  if  the  mother  is  not  reliable,  a 
foster-mother  should  be  in  readiness.  For  preference  in 
such  cases  get  a  strong  English  cat,  as  they  are  more  robust 
than  Persians,  and  often  far  more  loving  mothers.  Four 
kittens  are  enough  for  any  average  cat  to  bring  up.  In  the 


CARE  AND   MANAGEMENT  27 

selection  of  a  foster-mother  the  age  of  both  litters  should 
be  about  the  same  (at  any  rate  within  a  week)  as  the 
mother's  milk  varies  according  to  the  age  of  her  offspring,  and 
not  only  this,  but  new-born  kittens  require  more  maternal 
watching  and  warmth  than  kittens  of  three  or  four  weeks  old. 
If  it  should  happen  that  the  mother  dies  or  deserts  her 
babies  or  has  no  milk,  and  a  foster  cannot  be  found,  you 
must  do  your  best  to  bring  them  up  by  hand.  This  in- 
volves much  care  and  patience.  A  hot-water  bottle  covered 
with  flannel  comforts  the  tiny  mites.  They  should  be  fed 
every  two  hours  during  the  day  (and  at  least  twice  during 
the  night)  for  the  first  fortnight  with  milk  and  water  and  a 
tiny  pinch  of  sugar.  Up  to  the  end  of  the  first  week  the 
proportion  of  milk  and  water  should  be  one  part  milk  and 
two  parts  water,  including  a  little  lime  water.  At  the  end 
of  the  first  week  it  should  be  half  and  half  till  three  weeks 
is  reached,  when  it  should  be  three  parts  milk  and  one 
water.  At  three  weeks  old,  if  milk  is  not  given,  Mellin's 
Food  is  to  be  highly  recommended,  and  the  proportions  of 
"Mellin's,"  milk,  and  water  are  given  with  the  directions 
for  "infants  and  invalids,"  and  common  sense  tells  one 
which  of  the  directions  to  adopt.  At  five  or  six  weeks  old, 
solid  food  ought  to  be  given  in  very  small  quantities — 
three  quarters  of  a  teaspoonful  of  the  finest  and  most  tender 
minced  raw  meat  twice  a  day  (but  not  given  consecutively), 
Mellin's  food  two  or  three  times ;  and  a  little  thin  arrowroot 
may  be  given  for  a  change,  beef-tea  or  a  tiny  helping  of  fish 
mixed  with  warm  milk.  This  same  diet  only  in  rather 
larger  quantities  may  be  given  till  eight  weeks  old ;  from 
that  age  to  three  months  a  little  rice  and  gravy,  Spratt's 
puppy  biscuit  (very  finely  mashed),  Salvo's  or  Freeman's 
food  or  Phcenix  with  gravy.  Rabbit-broth  or  fishy  flavour 
can  be  introduced,  and  is  very  much  enjoyed.  Milk  pud- 
dings too  are  good  for  kittens.  Be  sure  to  offer  your  cats 
grass,  as  it  is  nature's  own  medigine,  and  animals  will  not 
take  it  unless  they  need  it.  A  nursing  mother  should  have 
three  solid  meals  a  day,  and  miik  twice  if  she  will  take  it, 
but  do  not  give  her  too  heating  and  stimulating  a  diet,  as  it 
is  apt  to  produce  scurf  in  the  kittens.  When  this  is  noticed 
give  the  mother  a  pinch  of  sulphur  powder  on  her  first  meal 
two  or  three  times  a  week. 


28  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

What  fanciers  dread  most  in  their  litters  are  bad  eyes  ;  if 
they  are  the  result  of  cold  they  are  not  so  hard  to  cure  but 
the  usual  cause  is  debility  and  worms  in  the  mother  or  other 
constitutional  weakness.  If  the  kittens  are  only  a  few  weeks 
old  the  mother  should  have  a  worm  dose  as  this  affects  the 
milk  and  acts  on  the  kittens  beneficially.  The  kittens  them- 
selves should  not  be  dosed  under  three  months  old.  It  is 
cruel  to  take  a  kitten  from  the  mother  until  eight  weeks  old. 
Never  dose  a  cat  for  worms  when  in  kitten  after  the  first 
fourteen  days  as  it  would  be  more  than  likely  to  cause  a  mis- 
carriage. These  hapless  events  usually  occur  at  the  end  of 
five  weeks,  and  are  generally  caused  by  fright,  chill,  or  weak- 
ness, or  are  the  result  of  old  age  of  either  of  the  parents 
(generally  the  mother).  If  once  a  mishap  has  occurred 
history  may  repeat  itself  and  especial  care  should  be  taken  at 
the  time  which  has  proved  the  most  critical  to  the  mother 
in  previous  matings. 

I  should  mention  that  diarrhoea  is  another  ailment  very 
common  in  kittens  and  there  are  various  causes — chill,  indi- 
gestion and  worms.  This  troublesome  complaint  should  at 
once  be  stopped  or  the  kitten  loses  strength  and  succumbs. 
Fleas  and  those  horrid  little  lice  also  work  great  havoc.  And 
I  have  seen  more  than  one  victim  to  these  pests,  with  deadly 
white  lips,  nose  and  mouth,  the  coat  all  rough  and  wiry,  the 
kitten  itself  a  bag  of  bones  with  no  real  disease  except 
what  the  insects  have  caused,  for  they  suck  the  blood,  thus 
causing  anaemia,  and  irritate  the  sufferer  almost  to  madness. 
A  tooth  comb  will  get  rid  of  all  the  dirt  and  nearly  all  the 
fleas  ;  then  rub  a  little  insect  powder  into  the  fur,  but  never 
use  insect  powder  on  very  young  kits  as  the  mother  has 
a  horror  of  it  and  might  desert  her  kittens  in  consequence. 
It  is  often  necessary  to  toothcomb  young  kittens.  Mr. 
Ward,  of  Manchester,  makes  a  very  good  powder  which 
kills  lice,  but  it  does  not  destroy  the  vitality  in  the  eggs  at 
once,  so  the  powdering  will  have  to  be  repeated  at  intervals. 
This  powder  has  a  very  inoffensive  smell,  but  I  would  not 
recommend  using  it  on  kittens  until  six  weeks  old. 

I  have  not  yet  mentioned  out-of-door  catteries.  These  are 
best  made  of  wood — raised  up  from  the  ground — and  should 
be  covered  with  felt  or  corrugated  iron.  There  should  be 
plenty  of  ventilation,  avoiding  draughts.  A  wired-in  run  is 


Mrs    Robert  Little's  "Othello" 
Nottle,  photo,  Beckenhant 


CARE  AND   MANAGEMENT  29 

most  desirable  and  ought  to  be  covered  over  so  that  in  wet 
weather  the  cats  should  not  have  to  be  shut  in  their  rooms 
all  day.  There  is  no  doubt  that  cats  thrive  best  out  of 
doors  and  can  stand  any  amount  of  dry  cold.  Artificial  heat 
ought  not  to  be  encouraged  ;  it  makes  cats  delicate  and  very 
susceptible  to  cold  and  other  catty  complaints ;  while  in- 
variably giving  kittens  weak  eyes.  The  cattery  cat  is  far 
better  off  with  the  temperature  even,  and  with  a  nice  com- 
fortable bed  in  a  cosy  corner  of  her  "room" — a  box  with 
plenty  of  warm  hay  for  the  winter  months  and  paper  for  the 
summer  months. 

Great  attention  should  be  paid  to  keeping  the  sanitary 
pans  clean  and  well  supplied  with  earth  or  saw-dust,  other- 
wise pussy  is  encouraged  to  be  dirty,  for  she  will  not  go  to  a 
pan  which  has  nothing  but  wet  mould,  and  she  much  resents 
a  pan  that  one  of  her  neighbours  has  used.  If  two  or  three 
cats  have  to  share  accommodations  it  is  best  to  have  two  or 
three  pans  about.  Londoners  especially  should  lay  in  a 
stock  of  Japanese  mould,  as  supplied  by  Carter's  of  High 
Holborn.  All  feeding  vessels  should  be  kept  scrupulously 
clean  and  never  left  standing  about. 

In  advocating  out-of-door  catteries  it  must  be  understood 
that  it  would  be  madness  to  put  a  cat  out  in  mid- winter 
which  had  hitherto  been  a  house- cat.  She  would  probably 
be  dead  from  pneumonia  within  a  week.  But  cats  put  out 
for  the  first  time  in  the  early  summer  thrive  all  the  year 
round  better  than  those  who  lead  an  indoor  life.  They  have 
healthier  appetites  and  grow  better  coats. 

Speaking  of  coats  reminds  me  that  a  cat  comb  and  brush 
should  be  kept  and  each  cat  combed  down  once  a  day.  It 
prevents  their  hair  from  matting,  brings  out  the  old  coat,  and 
causes  the  new  coat  to  come  on  more  quickly,  and  last,  but 
certainly  not  least,  it  keeps  the  coat  clean  and  free  from 
insects. 

I  have  spoken  of  nursing  mothers  and  kittens,  but  not  of 
stud  cats,  Stud  cats  require  more  meat  and  stimulating 
food  than  others ;  and  a  day  should  not  pass  without  their 
having  a  plateful  of  meat.  Raw  meat  occasionally  is  abso- 
lutely essential. 

Never  forget  to  keep  your  Tom  cats  well  supplied  with 
grass,  for  having  no  amount  of  exercise  they  require  it 


30  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Above  all  things  don't  overwork  your  stud  cat,  and  try  to 
avoid  inbreeding.  I  can  highly  recommend  Boulton  & 
Paul's  capital  houses  for  stud  cats.  I  have  had  one  for 
four  years,  and  it  has  answered  splendidly ;  and  my  cat 
Persimmon,  who  inhabits  it,  has  never  ailed  anything. 
Mine  is  a  double  house,  but  I  had  the  partition  taken  down, 
so  that  there  is  quite  a  fair-sized  exercise  ground. 

A  few  words  about  gelded  cats  will  not  be  out  of  place  in 
this  chapter,  my  remarks  being  applicable  to  both  long  and 
short  haired  neuters. 

For  reasons  that  are  easily  understood  it  is  necessary,  if 
you  wish  to  have  a  house  pet  of  unimpeachable  manners, 
to  have  your  male  cat  doctored  when  he  arrives  at  years  of 
discretion,  or  in  this  case  I  might  say,  indiscretion !  I  con- 
sider between  five  and  six  months  the  best  time  for  a  cat  to 
be  gelded.  These  cats  grow  to  an  enormous  size,  and  their 
coats  are  generally  very  long  and  thick.  They  do  not  shed 
their  fur  to  the  same  extent  as  ordinary  cats.  Certainly 
they  should  always  be  judged  in  a  separate  class  at  all 
shows.  The  neuter  class  at  good  shows  is  often  most  attrac- 
tive and  well  filled.  As  a  rule  these  cats  are  more  docile 
and  better-tempered  than  others,  and  though  they  are  con- 
sidered a  lazy  set,  yet  rats  and  mice  will  be  generally  kept 
under  by  the  household  pet.  When  fanciers  are  over- 
wrought by  disappointing  litters,  troublesome  Toms  and 
prolific  females,  I  have  more  than  once  heard  them  exclaim : 
"  I  shall  get  rid  of  all  my  cats,  and  only  keep  neuters  1 " 


II  (continue^} 

PRACTICAL   HINTS   ON   CARE  AND 
MANAGEMENT 

Kittens. 

IT  is  always  advisable  when  buying  a  kitten  to  make  inqui- 
ries as  to  the  way  in  which  it  has  been  fed,  so  as  to  continue 
the  same  regime  for  at  least  a  few  days.  Any  sudden  change 
of  diet  for  young  kittens  is  to  be  avoided. 

For  delicate  kittens  raw  meat  should  be  passed  through  a 
mincing  machine,  or  if  the  animal  is  really  extremely  weak 
and  ill,  then  let  it  be  rubbed  through  a  sieve,  so  that  the 
digestive  organs  will  have  little  or  no  work. 

Teach  your  kittens  when  young  to  lap  water.  It  is  a 
capital  thing  for  all  animals,  especially  with  a  small  bit  of 
sulphur  in  it. 

There  is  a  great  knack  in  teaching  young  kittens  to  feed 
themselves.  When  they  are  about  three  weeks  is  the  time 
to  try  and  get  them  to  take  a  little  milk  and  warm  water : 
say  about  twice  a  day.  I  find  a  shallow  plate  is  better  than 
a  saucer,  for  when  the  mites  dip  their  mouths  into  the  milk 
they  do  not  get  out  of  the  depth !  It  is  curious  how  stupid 
some  kittens  are  in  making  the  start  towards  independence 
iu  feeding,  whilst  others  in  the  same  litter  quickly  master 
the  difficulty  of  lapping  on  *he  surface  of  the  milk.  Some 
are  taught  better  if  the  milk  is  held  to  their  mouths  in  a 


32  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

spoon.    Add  a  pinch  of   sugar  to  the  milk  and  warm 
water. 

In  bringing  up  young  kittens  by  hand,  the  mistake  is  often 
made  of  giving  too  much  food  and  over-loading  the  little 
creatures,  who  in  consequence  suffer  from  acute  indigestion. 
A  teaspoonful  of  milk  or  Mellin's  food  at  a  time  is  sufficient, 
and  this  may  be  given  every  two  or  three  hours.  It  is  best 
to  try  and  not  awaken  kittens  in  order  to  feed. 

Of  course  one  is  sometimes  obliged  to  feed  by  force,  but 
this  should  be  resorted  to  only  as  a  last  extremity.  I  have 
often  spent  an  hour  or  more  in  trying,  by  all  sorts  of 
persuasive  means,  to  get  a  kit  to  feed  of  her  own  sweet  will, 
and  have  felt  a  throb  of  pride  when  my  efforts  have  been 
crowned  with  success. 

Some  kittens  will  begin  to  feed  themselves  at  three  weeks, 
and  be  quite  able  to  leave  their  mothers  when  they  are  five 
or  six  weeks  old.  I  do  not  think,  however,  that  kittens 
should  be  sent  adrift  till  they  are  at  least  two  months  old, 
by  which  time  they  will  have  some  idea  of  the  method  by 
which  their  careful  and  attentive  mother  has  kept  them 
clean  and  tidy. 

I  do  not  approve  of  raw  fish,  especially  for  young  kittens, 
it  is  not  easily  digested  and  often  causes  diarrhoea. 

There  is  a  knack  about  teaching  young  kittens  to  be  clean. 
As  soon  as  they  are  able  to  scramble  out  of  their  basket 
care  should  be  taken  not  to  allow  them  to  run  into  corners. 
When  this  occurs  pick  them  up  and  put  them  in  the  pan  of 
earth  or  mould  provided  for  them.  With  patience  and  per- 
severance you  will  find  the  little  creatures  will  accommodate 
themselves  to  circumstances  and  the  pan ! 

The  weakest  part  in  a  young  kitten  is,  undoubtedly,  the 
eye,  and  I  think  breeders  will  bear  me  out  in  my  statement 
that  they  have  a  great  deal  of  trouble  with  bad  eyes  in  kittens. 
Several  lotions  and  ointments  are  supplied,  but  sometimes  I 
have  found  these  irritating.  Use  sweet  oil  to  keep  the  lids 


Mrs.  Pettit's  White  Persian  "  Piquante  Pearl ' 
Russell  &*  Sons,  photo,  London 


HINTS   ON   CARE   AND   MANAGEMENT       33 

from  sticking  together,  give  plenty  of  fresh  air  and  sunshine 
when  possible,  and  leave  the  rest  to  the  mother. 

A  good  guide  as  to  the  health  of  kittens  is  their  weight ; 
and  a  kitten  to  be  in  really  prime  condition  should  weigh 
one  pound  to  every  month,  say  up  to  six  months  old.  So 
if  you  find  a  three-months-old  kit  much  below  three  pounds 
you  should  feed  him  up. 

It  is  a  capital  plan  to  teach  your  young  kittens  to  some- 
times take  their  food  from  a  teaspoon,  so  that  when  it  is 
necessary  to  administer  a  dose  of  medicine  it  comes  more 
natural  to  them. 

I  have  often  noticed  that  very  long-coated  kittens  are  the 
most  delicate,  their  strength  having  gone  into  their  fur.  I 
recently  came  across  a  liiter  of  Blues  that  at  three  weeks 
old  were  enormous  to  look  at  on  account  of  their  extra- 
ordinary coats.  They  were  really  tiny  limbed  creatures, 
and  they  dropped  off  one  by  one  without  any  apparent 
cause.  I  do  not  know  if  there  is  anything  in  the  notion 
that  if  the  male  cat  is  very  strong  and  healthy  the  offsprings 
will  consist  of  more  males  than  females,  but  from  experience 
I  have  found  that  an  old  queen  will  almost  invariably  breed 
females  largely  in  excess  of  males. 

I  believe  that  all  kittens  are  born  healthy,  and,  therefore, 
supposing  the  mother  is  weak  and  delicate,  it  is  best  to  have 
a  foster  ready,  and  take  each  kit  away  as  it  is  born,  not 
allowing  it  to  suck  from  the  mother  at  all.  I  have  recently 
heard  of  great  success  following  this  course.  The  mother 
was  consumptive,  but  the  four  kittens  given  at  once  to  a 
healthy  foster  are  splendidly  strong. 

Kittens  generally  shed  their  first  teeth  when  between  five 
and  seven  months  old.  This  is  often  a  very  critical  time, 
and  I  have  known  several  cases  of  convulsions  occurring. 
Owners  of  cats  should  frequently  examine  the  mouths  of 
their  pets,  if  they  suspect  any  teething  trouble.  It  is  some- 
times necessary  to  draw  some  of  the  old  teeth  to  make  way 
for  the  new  comers.  I  can  tell  of  one  poor  cat  who  refused 

c 


34  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

all  solid  food,  and  for  no  apparent  reason.  I  opened  his 
mouth,  and  discovered  a  double  row  of  teeth,  and  at  once 
extracted  several  loose  ones,  which  must  have  been  the 
cause  of  great  pain  and  discomfort. 

I  object  to  sawdust  for  young  kittens.  I  have  just  heard 
of  a  case  in  point,  where  some  of  the  small  particles  got  into 
the  kitten's  ear,  and  the  little  creature,  in  its  endeavour 
to  get  rid  of  the  tickling,  caused  a  bad  sore  by  scratching. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  as  a  pick-me-up  for  delicate 
kittens  the  sea  air  is  much  to  be  recommended.  It  is  quite 
wonderful  to  see  the  transformation  in  these  little  mites  after 
a  few  days  of  sunshine  by  the  sea.  Their  eyes  become  clear 
and  bright  and  their  appetites  require  something  more  than 
air  and  light  to  satisfy  them. 

You  may,  perhaps,  observe  a  sort  of  roughness  under  the 
fur  of  your  kitten,  and  fancy  it  is  some  skin  trouble,  whereas 
in  reality  it  is  quantities  of  flea  dirt.  This  is  very  injurious. 
Use  a  small  tooth  comb,  and  then  part  the  fur,  and  brush 
with  rather  a  hard  brush. 

When  kittens  reach  the  age  of  four  weeks  they  should 
begin  to  learn  to  lap.  A  shallow  plate  filled  with  milk  and 
warm  water  is  better  than  a  saucer.  Begin  by  just  dipping 
the  kits'  mouths  into  the  milk.  They  will  rather  resent 
this  treatment  at  first,  and  make  a  spluttering,  but  the 
cunning  ones  will  grasp  the  situation  and  make  another 
attempt  on  their  own  account.  They  will  quickly  learn  not 
to  dip  their  heads  too  deep,  and  their  joy  is  great  when  they 
find  they  can  lap  up  the  milk  without  nearly  choking  them- 
selves. 


Mother  and  Young 

The  best  months  for  our  pussies  to  have  their  families  are 
April  and  May,  then  the  young  kittens  have  the  summer 
before  them,  when  they  can  enjoy  plenty  of  out-door  air  and 
exercise. 


HINTS   ON   CARE   AND   MANAGEMENT       35 

Perhaps  you  may  have  noticed  a  decided  partiality  for 
bottom  drawers  that  your  puss  will  display  as  the  date  of  the 
expected  arrival  draws  near.  I  think  in  this  respect  a  mother 
cat  shows  her  good  sense,  for  certainly  if  a  bottom  drawer 
can  be  spared,  it  is  a  very  safe  and  convenient  home  for  a 
litter  of  kits.  They  are  out  of  draughts  and  danger,  and  if 
the  drawer  is  left  an  inch  or  two  open,  they  can  get  plenty  of 
air.  Of  course,  whilst  the  mother  is  nursing  them  a  larger 
opening  is  necessary,  so  that  she  may  jump  in  and  out. 

Do  not  allow  your  cats  to  have  their  kittens  in  outside 
catteries  during  cold  weather.  The  mother  is  not  able  to 
attend  to  them  properly  till  all  are  born  into  the  world,  and, 
therefore,  the  neglected  ones  are  sometimes  perished  to 
death  before  they  can  cuddle  up  to  get  the  natural  warmth 
they  so  much  require. 

When  cats  are  in  kitten  great  care  should  be  taken  in 
handling  them,  and  if  it  is  really  necessary  to  lift  your  pnss, 
do  so  with  both  hands,  placing  one  under  her  hind  quarters. 
It  is  very  injurious  to  attempt  to  pick  up  a  cat  in  this 
interesting  condition  under  the  front  paws,  thus  leaving  the 
heaviest  part  of  the  body  suspended. 

It  is  most  important  that  all  female  cats  should  be  freed 
from  worms  before  being  allowed  to  breed,  or  even  to  mate. 
So  o'ten  young;  kittens  fall  victims  to  these  pests,  having 
sucked  in  the  disease  with  their  mother's  milk.  I  highly  re- 
commend Ward's  worm  powders,  but  as  all  vermifuges  are 
weakening,  a  specially  nourishing  diet  should  be  given  at  the 
same  time. 

After  our  puss  has  given  birth  to  two,  three,  or  four 
kittens,  we  are  often  led  ^y  her  size  to  suppose  there  are 
more'  to  follow.  Sometimes  we  may  be  right,  but  more 
probably  it  is  only  a  temporary  enlargement,  and  in  a  day 
or  two  we  become,  perhaps,  concerned  to  find  the  mother's 
sides  very  visibly  decrease.  Give  hot  milk  and  farinaceous 
food  to  your  puss  just  at  first  after  the  birth  of  kittens. 

Some  pussies  greatly  resent  being  looked  at  during  the 


36  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

first  days  of  their  motherhood.  They  will  show  their  dis- 
pleasure by  carrying  off  their  kittens  and  hiding  them.  I 
have  just  heard  of  a  case  where  the  kits  mysteriously  dis- 
appeared from  their  basket,  and  after  diligent  search  the 
litter  of  four  was  found  carefully  packed  away  in  one  of  the 
boots  belonging  to  the  gentlemen  of  the  house  !  It  is  best 
to  place  the  bed  in  some  secluded  and  dark  corner,  and  not 
to  trouble  the  family  with  frequent  visits. 

It  is  a  bad  habit  to  feed  your  puss  in  her  hamper  when 
she  is  nursing  her  kittens.  She  may  be  averse  to  coming 
out  and  leaving  the  precious  family,  but  it  is  best  for  her  to 
stretch  her  legs,  and  cleaner  and  nicer  in  every  way. 

It  is  after  the  first  week  or  ten  days  that  a  nursing  mother 
begins  to  feel  a  large  family  trying.  There  is  really  no 
immediate  necessity  for  a  foster  when  the  mites  are  only  a 
day  or  two  old. 

Don't  distress  yourself  if  your  mother  pussy  refuses  her 
usual  saucer  of  milk  when  she  is  nursing  a  family.  The  in- 
stinct in  animals,  even  in  mere  cats,  is  wonderful,  and  if  puss 
prefers  water  TO  milk,  be  sure  she  has  her  reasons,  which  are 
unknown  to  the  human  mind. 

When  a  cat  is  nursing  let  her  have  plenty  of  hot  milk. 
This  will  be  a  great  assistance  to  her  in  providing  sufficient 
nourishment  for  her  family.  Warm  Bovril  or  Kreochyle 
is  also  very  sustaining,  to  which  I  find  cats  are  very  partial. 

Sleep  is  almost  as  essential  as  food  to  young  kittens,  so 
when  you  see  them  cuddled  up  comfortably,  do  not  disturb 
them  and  always  avoid  handling  them.  Perhaps  through 
some  disaster  or  because  your  puss  deserts  her  kits,  she 
is  left  with  a  lot  of  milk,  It  is  best  to  give  her  a  dose 
of  castor  oil  and  rub  her  breasts  gently  and  frequently  wiih 
camphorated  spirit  or  eau  de  Cologne,  diluted  with  a  little 
warm  water.  In  about  three  or  four  days  the  milk  will  dry 
up.  It  is  very  seldom  that  cats  suffer  from  milk  fever. 

Don't  let  your  Persian  queens  bring  up  more  than  four 


HINTS   ON   CARE   AND   MANAGEMENT      37 

kittens.  Try  and  secure  a  foster  to  assist  if  the  litter  is  a 
larger  one.  It  is  when  kittens  are  about  a  week  old  that  the 
mother  begins  to  feel  the  strain  upon  her.  A  nursing  mother 
should  have  four  good  meals  a  day. 

It  is  well  to  book  a  foster  cat  if  our  queens  are  not  good 
mothers.  The  difficulty  is  generally  to  fix  the  date  of  the 
arrival  of  the  foster  mother's  kittens.  It  is  best  to  have  the 
foster  in  the  house  a  few  days  before  the  litter  is  expected. 
A  cat  should  not  be  allowed  to  take  a  railway  journey  having 
just  had  a  family,  as  the  shaking  is  likely  to  upset  the  puss. 

There  is  really  no  difficulty  in  transferring  kittens  to  foster 
mothers,  and  it  is  well  to  keep  common  cats  in  view  at 
about  the  period  when  our  valuable  queens  are  due  to  kitten. 
I  have  found  the  following  plan  answer  splendidly.  Take 
it  for  granted  your  Persian  queen  and  the  common  or  garden 
cat  have  litters  about  the  same  time.  You  proceed  to  pain- 
lessly destroy  all  but  one  of  the  fester's  family.  Then  place 
two  or  three,  or  all  of  the  valuable  kittens  in  the  nurse  cat's 
bed,  mixing  them  up  with  the  one  kitten,  baving  in  the 
meantime  removed  the  mother.  In  this  way  the  new  kittens 
will  become  scented  as  it  were  with  the  surroundings,  and 
on  her  return  the  mother  will  give  a  few  sniffs,  and  pro- 
bably cuddle  down  quite  contentedly,  with  only  a  vague 
suspicion  that  something  has  happened. 

Some  cats  will  be  excellent  mothers  to  a  large  family, 
but  if  anything  should  happen  to  any  of  the  litter  and  she  is 
left  with  only  one  or  two  she  will  desert  them.  It  is  better 
to  try  and  procure  other  kittens  to  put  with  her,  and  let  her 
foster  these  with  her  own. 

Kittens  should  not  be  taken  from  their  mother  before  two 
months,  and  those  that  are  left  another  month  are  generally 
the  better  for  it.  Not  only  is  it  well  for  the  cat  to  suckle 
her  young  as  long  as  possible,  but  the  natural  warmth  is 
very  essential  for  kittens  of  tender  age.  Avoid  handling 
your  cat  when  she  is  in  kitten,  and  when  the  family  arrives 
resist  the  temptation  of  picking  up  the  tiny  mites.  Some 
mothers  resent  this,  and  will  often  hide  away  their  offspring, 


38  CATS   AND   ALL   ABOUT   THEM 

and  they  have  been  known  to  eat  them  in  consequence  of 
undue  interference. 

I  was  once  possessed  of  a  lovely  blue  female,  whose  only 
fault  was  neglecting  her  offspring  when  about  a  fortnight 
old.  I  hit  upon  the  plan  of  using  the  filler  of  a  fountain 
pen.  I  charged  this  with  warm  milk  and  water,  and 
placing  the  end  in  the  kitten's  mouth,  I  gently  pressed 
the  rubber.  The  kits  sucked  away  with  great  glee.  This 
is  a  much  better  mode  of  getting  food  down  young  kits' 
throats  than  by  using  a  spoon.  I  believe  Mr.  Ward,  of 
Manchester,  has  improved  upon  my  patent,  and  a  glorified 
fountain-pen  filler  is  now  provided  by  him.  This  has  a 
piece  of  india-rubber  fixed  on  the  part  of  glass  tube  which 
is  put  in  the  kitten's  mouth,  and  thus  all  risk  of  their  biting 
the  glass  and  breaking  it  is  done  away  with.  Let  me  recom- 
mend all  breeders  of  kittens  to  have  one  of  these  useful 
articles  amongst  their  catty  requisites, 

It  is  not  very  safe  to  put  Keating's  Powder  on  your  baby 
kits,  but,  if  troubled  with  fleas,  sprinkle  some  amongst  the 
hay  at  the  bottom  of  their  basket,  under  which  place  a  news- 
paper. You  will  be  astonished  what  a  number  of  fleas, 
dead  and  dying,  will  be  found  on  removing  the  basket. 
Change  the  hay  frequently,  and  sprinkle  fresh  powder.  In  this 
way,  both  mother  and  kits  will  be  kept  free  from  these  pests. 

Don't  have  anything  to  do  with  red  baize  or  flannel  in 
making  a  bed  for  young  kittens.  If  these  materials  get  wet 
the  dye  comes  out  and  stains  the  coats  horribly.  The  other 
day  I  came  across  a  little  family  of  Blues  with  red  tails  ! 

In  wintry  weather  it  is  risky  sending  our  precious  queens 
on  long  journeys.  Make  use  of  large  sheets  of  brown  paper 
as  coverings  to  the  hampers.  This  denes  the  wind  much 
better  than  woollen  wrappers  or  linings. 

I  am  often  asked  how  it  is  best  to  set  about  breeding 
Persian  cats  so  as  to  make  it  pay,  and  I  invariably  answer 
by  telling  my  inquirers  to  procure  two  thoroughly  good, 
healthy  pedigree  queens.  At  the  present  time,  I  should 


HINTS  ON  CARE  AND   MANAGEMENT     39 

suggest  a  Blue  and  a  Silver.  Send  these  to  mate  with  well- 
known  sires,  and  advertise  the  kittens  just  before  they  are 
ready  to  leave  their  mother,  say  at  about  eight  weeks  old. 

Avoid  the  use  of  drugs  of  any  kind  for  your  cats  when  in 
kitten.  Give  extra  food,  and  when  the  interesting  event 
draws  near,  prepare  a  nice  box  or  bed  in  a  secluded  corner. 
Some  cats  much  prefer  paper  to  hay  or  straw ;  others  like  a 
folded  blanket. 


Male  and  Stud  Cats 

I  am  sure  it  is  a  mistake  if  you  have  a  stud  cat  to  allow 
him  his  liberty  one  day  and  then  shut  him  up  again.  He 
will  pine  and  fret  much  more  than  if  kept  in  continual  con- 
finement. It  is  important,  however,  that  our  male  cats 
should  have  plenty  of  fresh  air  and  a  long  enough  run  to 
take  some  exercise. 

One  of  the  advantages  of  cat  shows  is  that  we  are  enabled 
to  take  stock  of  the  various  males,  as  in  some  cases  adver- 
tisements of  stud  cats  are  a  little  misleading.  I  attach  great 
importance  to  size  of  head  and  form  of  body.  Sufficient 
attention  is  not  paid  to  mating  cats  when  they  are  not  show- 
ing any  indication  of  moulting.  Choose  a  stud  cat  in  good 
coat  if  possible.  The  outward  characteristics  are  in  a  great 
measure  transmitted  by  the  male,  so  look  well  to  markings, 
colour,  and  shape  of  the  stud  cat  selected. 

The  usual  fee  for  the  services  of  a  good  stud  in  the  cat 
fancy  is  £i  is.,  and  the  expense  of  carriage  is  defrayed  by 
the  sender  of  the  queen.  In  the  United  States  the  charge 
is  from  five  to  ten  dollars. 

A  word  to  novices.  Beware  of  keeping  your  male  cats 
together  after  they  have  passed  ten  months,  as  I  have 
recently  heard  of  a  torn  who  attacked  his  brother  very 
suddenly  and  nearly  killed  him. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  try  and  accustom  your  cats  to  be 
tethered  up.  My  stud  cat  is  quite  happy  on  a  long  cord. 


40  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

He  gets  to  know  about  the  distance  he  can  walk  round. 
In  this  way  he  has  a  fair  amount  of  exercise  and  plenty  of 
fresh  air. 


Catteries  and  Appliances 

If  you  decide  to  keep  your  cats  and  pets  in  a  cattery, 
bring  them  indoors  now  and  again  and  thus  accustom  them 
to  home  life  and  human  beings.  It  is  much  pleasanter  to 
have  a  really  domestic  cat,  rather  than  one  that  darts  away 
when  approached  and  is  frightened  at  every  sound. 

All  wooden  catteries  should  be  well  raised  from  the  ground. 
It  is  important  to  have  good  ventilation.  It  is  a  capital  plan 
to  have  movable  wooden  shutters,  so  that  in  extra  windy 
or  damp  weather  these  can  be  easily  put  up  to  form  a 
shelter. 

In  constructing  a  cattery,  be  sure  and  have  plenty  of  shelves 
fixed  up.  All  cats  have  a  weakness  for  sitting  on  a  shelf, 
however  hard  or  narrow. 

During  the  winter  we  are  sometimes  wishful  to  heat  our 
catteries,  although  I  am  not  in  favour  of  artificial  heat.  After 
a  heavy  rain  or  dense  fog  we  have  recourse  to  a  little  oil 
stove.  Be  careful  to  protect  this  in  some  way  by  wire  net- 
ting or  a  fire  guard.  I  have  known  a  cat  to  waft  its  tail  over 
the  top  of  one  of  these  stoves,  and  it  was  more  than 
singed ! 

Cats  are  essentially  and  naturally  clean  animals,  and  it  is 
orten  the  fault  of  their  mistresses  and  caretakers  that  they 
become  dirty  in  their  habits.  Keep  their  earth  tins  clean 
and  sweet,  and  you  will  seldom  find  that  pussy  offends.  Cats 
so  much  prefer  to  have  something  to  scratch  in  and  scratch 
over. 

Japanese  mould  is  splendid  for  use  in  cats'  tins.  This  can 
be  purchased  at  Carter's  well-known  firm  in  High  Holborn. 
It  has  the  advantage  of  being  a  great  absorbent,  consequently 


Mrs.  Sinkin's  Smoke  "Teufel" 
Debenham  &>  Smith,  photo,  Southampton 


HINTS   ON   CARE  AND   MANAGEMENT     41 

no  disagreeable  odour  is  noticed,  and  the  mould  need  not 
be  changed  so  frequently  as  ordinary  earth. 

A  house  pet  whose  behaviour  cannot  be  relied  upon  is  not 
a  desirable  inmate.  It  is  always  best  to  have  an  arrange- 
ment of  an  earth  tin  in  some  quiet  corner,  and  to  accustom 
the  cat  to  make  use  of  this  in  an  emergency. 

I  never  advocate  any  artificial  heat  for  cats  or  kittens, 
but  if  you  have  a  delicate  specimen,  or  one  suffering  from 
a  cold,  and  the  weather  is  severe,  then  I  have  found  that 
a  hot  bottle  at  night  is  a  great  comfort.  The  india-rubber 
ones  are  the  most  handy,  but  failing  these,  a  stone  ginger- 
beer  bottle  filled  with  boiling  water,  and  tightly  corked, 
answers  the  purpose.  Wrap  it  in  flannel  and  place  in  the 
bed  last  thing  at  night. 

It  is  a  good  plan  during  the  winter  months  to  keep  a  store 
of  dry  earth  in  some  covered  place,  so  that  you  can  have 
a  constant  supply  with  which  to  replenish  your  tins.  There 
is  nothing  a  cat  resents  more  than  being  asked  to  use  a  tin 
containing  damp  earth. 

All  sleeping  boxes  or  hampers  for  cats  should  be  raised, 
and,  even  for  a  cat  sleeping  in  the  house,  a  bed,  on  a  chair 
or  box,  is  much  to  be  preferred  to  letting  her  lie  on  the 
ground  where  there  is  certain  to  be  a  draught. 

Be  sure  and  let  your  pussies  have  an  abundance  of  hay  in 
their  beds  during  the  winter  months.  Boxes  are  warmer 
than  hampers,  and  the  top  should  be  covered  over  so  that 
the  cat  may  crawl  in  from  the  front  over  a  ledge  of  a  few 
inches  of  wood.  Then  when  inside  the  bed  she  is  protected 
from  any  ground  draught. 

The  straw  or  hay  provided  for  our  cats  should  be  changed 
at  least  once  a  week,  and  oftener  in  summer.  A  little 
Mothalene  sprinkled  at  the  bottom  of  the  box  or  hamper 
keeps  down  troublesome  insects. 

During  the  summer  do  not  put  too  much  hay  in  your 


4*  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

cats'  beds ;  in  fact,  I  prefer  a  sheet  of  newspaper  laid  at 
the  bottom  of  the  box  or  hamper.  Hay  is  heating,  and 
encourages  fleas. 

Some  cats  have  a  most  troublesome  and  irritating  habit 
of  rubbing  their  heads  against  the  walls  or  wire  netting  of 
their  houses.  A  sheet  of  glass  about  the  height  of  the 
animal  will  prevent  the  destruction  of  their  coat  and  ruft 
from  the  continued  friction. 

If  you  use  wire  netting  in  your  catteries  be  very  careful 
that  the  ends  are  neatly  finished  off  and  that  no  sharp  bit  of 
wire  is  left  sticking  out.  I  have  known  cats  receive  severe 
injuries  to  their  eyes  from  scratches,  and  often  their  coats 
suffer  from  being  caught  on  the  rough  ends  of  the  netting. 

It  is  always  best  to  keep  separate  and  distinct  saucers 
and  plates  for  our  pussies'  use.  I  would  recommend  the 
blue  and  white  enamelled  ware,  which  is  unbreakable.  I 
find,  also,  that  it  is  often  very  convenient  to  heat  the 
milk  in  one  of  these  plates  instead  of  troubling  to  boil  it 
in  a  pan.  If  a  saucer  of  milk  is  placed  on  a  closed  stove 
for  a  few  minutes  it  soon  becomes  hot,  and  no  injury  is 
done  to  this  enamelled  ware.  The  basins  are  also  very 
handy,  but  for  Long-haired  cats  the  plates  are  better,  as 
pussy's  ruff  is  less  likely  to  become  soiled  with  the  food. 

I  find  that  my  cats  prefer  a  circular  basket  as  a  bed  to  a 
square  one ;  they  seem  able  to  curl  round  more  comfortably. 
This  is  specially  the  case  with  a  mother  puss  and  her  litter 
of  kits. 

Have  you  remarked  how  fond  cats  are  of  each  having 
their  own  plates  and  saucers  from  which  to  feed  ?  I  have 
lately  invested  in  some  nice  deep  white  saucers.  They  were 
a  "  job  line  "  at  twopence-halfpenny  the  dozen  ! 

If  you  are  building  cat-houses,  remember  that  a  concrete 
floor  is  much  better  thsm  a  wooden  one.  It  may  seem  cold 
in  winter,  but  a  piece  of  movable  linoleum  or  cork  "  lino  " 
will  add  to  the  appearance  and  comtort  of  the  cattery. 


HINTS   ON   CARE   AND   MANAGEMENT      43 

During  very  hot  weather  our  stud  cats  who  inhabit  houses 
suffer  a  good  deal  when  the  sun  strikes  down  upon  them. 
I  cover  the  front  of  my  cattery  with  an  old  rug  and  then 
make  free  use  of  the  garden  hose,  letting  it  play  upon  the 
top  and  saturating  the  thick  cover.  This  has  a  wonder- 
fully cooling  effect,  which  lasts  some  time.  During  the 
process  my  cat  retires  into  his  sleeping  apartment. 

It  is  difficult  to  procure  suitable  earth  tins  for  our  cats.  I 
tried  several,  but  they  were  either  too  shallow  or  too  deep, 
so  decided  on  ordering  some  of  the  required  size  made  in 
galvanised  iron,  at  Whiteley's.  Large  earthenware  flower- 
pot saucers,  well  glazed,  are  also  very  suitable. 


Hints  on  Food 

If  you  can  persuade  your  pussies  to  eat  Spratt's  Cod  Liver 
Oil  Puppy  Biscuits  you  do  them  a  good  turn  and  yourself 
also,  for  they  are  very  nourishing  and  inexpensive.  We  all 
acknowledge  that  raw  meat  is  an  excellent  diet,  but  if  we  are 
possessed  of  a  number  of  queens,  two  or  three  stud  cats,  and 
several  litters  of  growing  kittens,  then  the  butcher's  bill 
becomes  a  serious  consideration.  The  biscuits  should  be 
soaked  for  some  hours  till  soft  enough  to  be  mashed  through 
a  fork ;  a  tablespoonful  of  the  red  gravy  from  a  roast  joint 
added,  diluted  with  a  dash  of  hot  water  and  a  sprinkle  of  salt. 
The  kits  will  not  leave  much  beside  the  pattern  on  the  plate. 

A  cat  will  often  refuse  her  food  simply  because  she  cannot 
smell  it.  It  is  therefore  important  to  clear  the  passage  of 
the  nose.  Sometimes  if  you  can  put  one  piece  of  food  into 
your  pussy's  mouth,  she  will  then  taste  it,  and  continue  to 
eat  of  her  own  accord. 

A  cat  or  kitten  must  be  very  far  gone  to  refuse  Brand's 
essence.  So,  if  all  food  fails,  try  this.  I  find  they  generally 
prefer  it  in  the  jelly,  and  to  lick  it  out  of  a  spoon. 

Oatmeal  is  such  a  splendid  food  for  our  pussies  during 
winter,  but  I  do  not  find  they  are  very  partial  to  it.  I  would 


44  CATS   AND  ALL   ABOUT   THEM 

suggest  mixing  the  meal  in  water  in  which  liver  has  been 
boiled,  and  adding  a  few  bits  of  the  meat  with  it  to  make 
the  dish  more  tasty. 

Another  nice  winter  meal  is  Hovis  bread  (brown),  with 
boiling  milk  poured  over  it.  A  change  may  be  made  by 
scalding  the  bread  till  soft,  then  pour  off  the  water,  and  stir 
in  a  tablespoonful  of  condensed  milk. 

Not  only  do  bones  amuse  a  cat,  but  they  benefit  the  teeth 
considerably, and  help  to  strengthen  the  jaws.  Large  bones  are 
preferable,  with,  of  course,  a  little  flesh  on  them.  Avoid  small 
ones,  as  they  are  apt  to  be  swallowed  and  stick  in  the  throat. 

During  the  very  hot  weather  butchers  very  wisely  put 
their  meat  in  ice,  or  in  cold  rooms,  especially  arranged  for 
keeping  it.  It  is  not  advisable  to  give  raw  meat  in  its 
frozen  state  to  cats,  and  so  I  should  recommend  just  scalding 
it,  or  pouring  boiling  water  over  it.  Some  people  prefer  to 
slightly  cook  the  meat,  leaving  all  the  red  juice  in  it. 

Two  meals  a  day  are  as  a  rule  sufficient  for  healthy  cats, 
but  some  who  are  "  bad  doers "  require  special  treatment 
and  should  be  offered  food  in  small  quantities  three  or  even 
four  times  a  day.  If  a  large  dish  ot  food  is  placed  before  a 
cat  who  feeds  badly,  it  is  very  apt  to  sicken  her  and  make 
her  refuse  to  eat  at  all. 

I  have  found  macaroni,  well  boiled  and  mixed  with  gravy, 
a  capital  food  for  cats  and  kittens.  It  makes  a  change,  and 
is  generally  highly  approved  of. 

We  see  a  number  of  pictures  in  the  daily  papers  of  plump, 
pretty  babies  who  have  been  brought  up  on  Mellin's  Food. 
Now,  it  stands  to  reason  that  what  is  nourishing  for  infants 
must  also  be  good  for  young  kittens.  I  know  of  several 
cat  fanciers  who  swear  by  Mellin's  Food. 

I  advocate  a  mixed  diet  for  cats,  and  therefore  recommend 
ringing  the  changes  on  raw  meat,  cooked  meat,  with  vege- 
tables and  gravy  ;  fish,  mixed  with  rice  and  boiled  milk.  I 


HINTS   ON   CARE   AND   MANAGEMENT      45 

consider  two  meals  a  day  sufficient  for  cats,  and  three  meals 
for  kittens,  under  ordinary  circumstances.  Tom  cats,  when 
at  stud,  should  have  an  extra  meal  given  to  them,  and  a 
nursing  mother  just  as  much  as  she  will  eat.  I  do  not 
approve  of  tit-bits  given  between  meals,  which  is  harmful  to 
the  digestion. 

I  have  been  told  by  an  experienced  fancier  that  tripe 
is  an  excellent  food  for  cats,  and  that  they  are  extremely 
fond  of  it.  I  intend  to  give  it  a  trial,  as  one  is  always 
glad  to  know  of  something  in  the  way  of  a  change  in 
pussy's  menu. 

An  inexpensive  meal  for.  a  cat  is  jelly  made  from  bones, 
which  can  be  procured  from  your  butcher  for  a  few  pence. 

I  am  sure  that  most  cat  fanciers  on  a  large  scale  will  bear 
me  out  in  my  statement  that  hardly  two  cats  feed  alike, 
therefore  I  consider  that  no  strict  bill  of  daily  fare  can  be 
laid  down.  With  some  cats  breakfast  seems  the  all  im- 
portant meal,  and  others  will  rejoice  when  supper  time 
arrives.  Two  good  rules  to  follow  are  these:  Food 
should  never  be  left,  and  water  must  be  continually 
supplied.  < 

Sardines  are  rather  an  expensive  luxury,  but  during  cold 
weather  I  treat  my  cats  to  some  twice  or  three  times  a  week. 
I  find  that  breadcrumbs  mixed  in  the  oil  makes  more  of  a 
meal  and  takes  away  from  the  richness  of  the  fish. 

A  fowl's  head,  with  the  feathers  on  it,  is  said  to  be  an 
excellent  thing  for  cats.  Sometimes  when  the  appetite  has 
quite  failed,  the  sight  of  this  delicacy  will  tempt  pussy  to 
start  eating  again.  The  same,  if  a  sparrow  can  be  trapped 
or  shot,  and  given  freshly  killed. 

I  am  not  an  advocate  for  bread  and  milk  for  kittens,  yet 
I  must  confess  I  have  seen  some  wonderfully  healthy  spe- 
cimens brought  up  on  this  diet.  I  should  anyhow  advise 
brown  bread,  and  the  boiled  milk  should  be  poured  over  the 
pieces  of  about  half  an  inch  in  size. 


46  CATS   AND   ALL   ABOUT   THEM 

The  last  meal  for  cats  should  be  the  most  substantial  one, 
as  it  has  to  last  until  the  morning.  During  cold  weather  a 
cat  will  sleep  better  and  feel  warmer  if  it  has  enjoyed  a  good 
supper. 

Do  not  give  liver  frequently  to  your  cats.  This  food  is 
very  laxative  and  will  cause  diarrhoea.  If,  however,  you 
allow  your  pussies  to  have  it  now  and  then,  be  sure  and  boil 
the  meat  very  slowly. 

I  consider  that  cats  require  more  feeding  in  cold  weather 
than  in  hot,  and  I  generally  treat  my  pussies  to  an  extra 
meal  in  the  middle  of  the  day  during  the  winter  months. 

Rsw  beef  is  generally  considered  the  best  meat  for  animals, 
and  next  to  this  mutton.  Veal  and  pork  should  not  be 
given. 

I  consider  Freeman's  Scientific  Food  capital  for  cats.  I 
have  used  it  for  two  years,  and  my  pussies  never  tire  of  it. 
I  mix  it  with  fish  or  meat  stock.  I  am  sure  that  once  tried 
it  will  be  always  used. 

I  do  not  think  fanciers  estimate  at  its  proper  value  pure 
cold  water  as  a  drink  for  cats.  No  doubt  good  fre.-h 
country  milk  is  nourishing,  but  at  the  same  time  it  is  rich 
for  young  kittens,  and  I  have  known  a  promising  family  la>d 
low  with  liver  complaint  simply  by  allowing  the  ki:s  too 
lavish  an  allowance  of  milk.  I  recommended  water  instead, 
and  I  hear  that  they  are  on  the  frolic  again. 

Loss  of  appetite  is  often  the  result  of  a  bad  cold.  Pussy 
loses  the  sense  of  smell,  and  refuses  her  food,  even  thorgu 
the  greatest  delicacy  is  offered  to  her.  Just  pop  a  piece  of  tue 
meat  or  fish  into  her  mouth ;  she  will  then  realise  how  good 
it  is,  and  will  turn  to  the  plate  and  make  quite  a  hearty  meal. 

Cat  fanciers  often  fail  to  realise  that  their  pets  are  thirsty 
in  winter  as  well  as  summer.  During  cold  frosty  weather 
warm  water  should  be  added  to  pussy's  drinking  bowl. 


HINTS  ON   CARE  AND   MANAGEMENT      47 

Animals  will  appreciate  this  attention,  for  freezing  water  is 
not  pleasant  to  the  tongue. 

Just  as  with  human  beings  so  with  cats ;  in  cases  of  con- 
tinuous sickness  soda  and  milk  is  sometimes  the  only  food 
that  can  be  kept  down. 

Do  not  let  your  pussies  drink  icy  cold  milk  or  water,  it  is 
most  trying  to  their  digestion  and  not  comforting  to  their  in- 
teriors. I  find  my  cats  like  their  milk  in  winter  steaming 
hot  and  it  is  wonderful  how  hot  they  can  lap  it. 

It  is  very  important  that  cats  should  be  given  a  good 
proportion  of  vegetable  diet.  This  is  more  especially  neces- 
sary if  grass  is  not  easily  obtainable.  Some  fanciers  are  in 
favour  of  lentils,  and  no  doubt  they  are  very  nourishing,  but 
as  a  rule  pussy  does  not  take  kindly  to  this  food,  and  an 
early  training  is  necessary.  Lentils  should  soak  for  some 
hours  and  then  be  slowly  boiled.  They  are  best  mixed  with 
scraps  of  meat  and  gravy. 

If  your  cats  cannot  have  access  to  grass,  then  sow  seeds  in 
pots  and  leave  in  the  cattery.  Cats  always  prefer  the 
coarser  kind  of  grass. 

I  find  that  of  all  sorts  of  grass  and  green  food,  cats  are 
fondest  of  ribbon  grass.  I  have  some  specially  sown  in  the 
garden,  and  every  morning  I  twist  it  in  and  out  of  the  wire 
of  my  cattery,  and  the  pussies  bite  away  at  it  with  great 
delight. 

Don't  forget  when  you  wish  to  administer  any  kind  of  oil 
to  cats  or  kits  to  have  the  spoon  quite  hot.  It  is  best  to 
stand  it  in  the  boiling  water,  then  pour  in  the  oil,  which 
you  will  find  will  slip  down  the  cat's  throat  very  easily,  and 
not  remain  sticking  to  the  spoon  or  the  patient's  mouth. 

Some  cats  will  thoroughly  enjoy  to  nibble  at  a  piece  of 
bread  and  butter.  One  of  my  cats  always  makes  her  ap- 
pearance at  afternoon  tea,  and  expects  to  be  offered  tea-cake, 
muffin,  or  whatever  is  going. 


48  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

I  came  across  some  finely  grown  and  very  plump  young 
cats  the  other  day,  and  on  inquiring  about  their  diet  I  heard 
it  consisted  of  raw  meat  and  Neaves'  food.  The  result  was 
certainly  very  satisfactory. 

It  is  not  advisable  to  feed  a  cat  just  before  she  starts  on  a 
journey.  Give  a  good  meal  three  or  four  hours  previous  to 
packing  her  up.  The  receiver  will  be  pretty  sure  to  attend 
to  her  wants  on  her  arrival.  It  is  a  mistake  to  put  food  into 
the  hamper,  and  pussy  generally  shows  her  good  sense  by 
refusing  to  touch  it. 

Many  fanciers  are  averse  to  giving  horseflesh  to  their  cats, 
and,  no  doubt,  in  hot  weather  it  is  not  to  be  depended  upon. 
If,  however,  really  reliable  cat's  meat  can  be  obtained 
during  the  winter  months,  I  am  sure  it  forms  an  excellent 
and  nourishing  food.  As  a  rule,  the  pussies  delight  in  it.  I 
have  known  cats  who  become  well  acquainted  with  the  days 
on  which  their  butcher  calls,  and  even  if  they  are  in  a  sound 
sleep  they  recognise  the  voice  of  the  charmer,  and  will  make 
a  wild  rush  for  the  back  door. 

During  hot  weather  it  behoves  all  cat  fanciers  to  pay 
extra  attention  to  the  condition  of  the  meat,  which  should 
be  carefully  looked  over  to  see  if  it  has  been  tainted  by 
flies.  It  is  best  to  dip  the  meat  in  weak  vinegar  and  water, 
but  this  might  give  it  a  taste  if  to  be  eaten  raw,  so  use  boil- 
ing water  only  and  rub  with  a  cloth.  Flyblown  meat  is 
most  injurious  for  cats. 

Most  cats  are  very  fond  of  lights,  and  these  make  a  nice 
change.  I  find  it  is  best  to  half  cook  them,  and  cut  up  finely. 
I  do  not  recommend  lights  to  be  given  more  than  twice  a  week. 

Have  you  ever  tried  boiling  sheeps'  heads  till  all  the  meat 
falls  away  from  the  bone,  and  then  mixing  it  with  some  of  its 
own  gravy  ?  It  makes  a  delicious  dish  for  pussy,  and  not  an 
expensive  one.  It  is  surprising  what  a  quantity  of  meat 
there  is  on  a  head,  and  I  believe  it  is  very  nourishing.  I  use 
rabbits'  heads  in  the  same  way,  and  add  some  Freeman's 
scientific  food  with  the  meat  to  make  it  go  farther. 


CQ 


HINTS  ON  CARE  AND   MANAGEMENT     49 

Eggs  are  very  nourishing,  we  all  know,  but  few  fanciers 
ever  think  of  giving  them  to  their  cats.  It  is  true  that 
London  eggs  cannot  be  depended  upon,  and  the  so-called 
"  newly  laid  eggs  "  are  expensive,  but  dwellers  in  the 
country  would  do  well  to  try  their  pussies  with  a  fresh  egg 
iery  lightly  boiled  or  mixed  with  hot  milk. 

I  have  been  told  by  an  experienced  cat  fancier  that  bone 
meal  is  an  excellent  thing  for  cats,  especially  delicate  animals 
needing  stamina.  This  article  can  be  procured  from  a  corn 
merchant,  and  a  little  can  be  sprinkled  amongst  the  cat's  food. 

I  am  not  an  advocate  for  tinned  meat  for  man  or  beast, 
but  I  confess  I  have  often  been  very  glad  to  fall  back  on  a 
tin  of  rabbit  when  my  stock  of  food  has  run  short.  I  find 
the  cats  delight  in  it.  Care  must  be  taken  to  clear  out  all 
the  bones,  and  only  the  best  brands  of  tinned  meat  should 
be  given. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  all  cats  adore  asparagus.  This  is 
an  expensive  vegetable,  but  it  is  well  to  know  of  something 
with  which  to  tempt  our  pussy  should  she  have  quite  lost 
her  appetite.  Some  cats  will  enjoy  beetroot,  and  cheese  is 
a  delight  to  others. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  because  a  cat  catches 
birds  and  mice  she  needs  no  other  food.  On  the  contrary, 
feed  pussie  well  and  she  will  do  her  duty  better.  A  cat  en- 
feebled by  neglect  or  starvation  is  not  in  the  best  condition 
to  successfully  hunt  and  catch  its  prey. 

A  cheap  fish  for  our  cats  is  hake,  and  I  find  they  are  very 
fond  of  it.  There  is  more  meat  and  less  bone  than  in  had- 
dock, which  is  a  usual  fish  to  select,  as  it  is  not  so  expensive 
as  other  kinds. 

I  was  told  a  curious  fact  by  a  fancier  the  other  day, 
namely,  that  frogs  cause  severe  throat  inflammation  in  cats, 
if  chased  and  played  with  by  them.  I  can  only  suppose 
that  some  poisonous  exhalation  comes  from  these  reptiles. 
Moral :  Don't  let  your  cats  go  frog-hunting. 

D 


50  CATS  AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 


Care  of  Coats 

When  cats  are  shedding  their  coats,  it  is  particularly  Im- 
portant they  should  have  a  daily  brush,  so  as  to  get  away 
the  loose  fur  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  thus  the  new  hair 
will  have  a  better  chance. 

It  is  never  an  easy  matter  to  wash  a  long-haired  cat,  and 
certainly  in  cold  weather  it  is  dangerous.  If  you  want  to 
clean  your  puss  and  prepare  her  for  showing,  then  purchase 
a  box  of  Pears'  white  precipitated  Fuller's  Earth.  Rub  this 
well  into  the  fur,  especially  fingering  the  parts  that  are  at  all 
greasy.  Then  clear  away  the  powder  with  a  soft  brush,  and 
you  will  see  a  vast  improvement  in  your  pussie's  appearance. 
Camphorated  chalk  can  also  be  used,  but  it  has  a  cloggiog 
effect  on  the  coat,  is  more  difficult  to  brush  out,  and  is  not 
good  for  the  cat  should  she  take  to  licking  it. 

Avoid  washing  your  cats  if  possible,  and  specially  be 
warned  against  putting  any  carbolic  in  the  water,  with  a  view 
to  killing  the  fleas ;  you  will  probably  kill  your  cat,  and  cer- 
tainly change  the  colour  of  his  coat,  if  he  be  a  Cream  or  Orange. 

When  a  cat's  fur  looks  "  spiky,"  that  is,  standing  out  in 
separate  bits  of  hair  instead  of  being  fluffy,  you  may  be 
pretty  sure  that  puss  is  troubled  with  worms. 

When  our  pussies  are  rapidly  shedding  their  coats  they 
need  a  little  extra  care  and  extra  food.  I  feed  oftener  in 
the  hot  weather,  giving  less  at  a  time.  It  is  bad  at  any 
season  to  leave  food  standing  about,  but  this  is  especially 
the  case  in  hot  weather. 

Parasites,  or  to  be  more  explicit,  lice  on  cats  and  kittens, 
are  very  troublesome  and  destructive.  They  increase  with 
great  rapidity,  and  thrive  better  on  an  unhealthy  specimen 
than  a  robust  one.  These  horrid  insects,  as  well  as  fleas, 
exist  on  the  blood  of  their  victims.  It  is,  therefore,  most 
important  to  check  the  evil  at  the  commencement. 


HINTS   ON   CARE   AND   MANAGEMENT     51 

I  don't  like  to  see  a  cat  for  ever  washing  herself  and  leaving 
her  coat  in  a  drenclvn^  condition.  I  suspect  some  internal  or 
external  irritation,  and  the  troubles  may  be  caused  by  worms. 

We  all  know  what  a  splendid  thing  sulphur  is  for  our 
pets.  It  is  one  of  the  best  and  safest  blood  purifiers.  It  is 
not  always  easy  to  get  our  dainty  feeders  to  take  their  milk 
or  water  in  which  sulphur  has  been  introduced.  A  good 
plan  is  to  sprinkle  the  powder  on  their  coats,  say  about  once 
a  week,  and  tben,  when  the  cat  cleans  itself,  a  certain  quan- 
tity will  be  swallowed. 

Don't  let  the  traces  of  fleas  remain  in  your  pussies'  coats. 
The  accumulation  of  this  dirt  is  bad  for  the  skin  and  fur.  It 
is  best  to  use  a  small  tooth  comb.  With  a  little  care  and 
attention  you  will  soon  make  a  clearance,  and  pussy  would 
thank  you  if  she  could  speak. 

Many  cats  are  very  fidgety  when  they  are  being  groomed. 
There  is  no  remedy  for  this  but  patience,  and  after  your 
puss  once  becomes  accustomed  to  her  morning's  toilet  she 
soon  gets  to  like,  and  will  even  look  forward  to  the  luxury. 

Many  fanciers,  especially  novices,  are  alarmed  when  they 
find  dry  scaly  and  scurfy  spots  on  their  cats,  and  imagine 
they  have  eczema  or  mange.  This  roughness  really  only 
proceeds  from  an  over-heated  system,  probably  from  over- 
feeding. Give  plenty  of  grass  or  green  food  and  apply 
equal  parts  of  sulphur  and  vaseline  for  three  days,  and  then 
comb  with  a  small  tooth  comb. 


Dosing 

How  difficult  it  is  to  poultice  a  cat !  Yet  in  cases  of 
enteritis  and  pneumonia  it  is  often  the  saving  of  poor  puss. 
For  enteritis  or  gastritis  when  the  stomach  becomes  tender 
and  distended,  make  a  roller  of  flannel,  wet  with  tepid 
water  and  bind  tightly  round  the  abdomen.  Over  this  a 
piece  of  oil  silk  covering  to  exclude  all  the  air,  and  over  this  a 
roll  of  dry  flannel.  This  forms  a  continuous  poultice.  It  must 
be  renewed  when  it  gets  cold,  and  the  kitten  kept  warm. 


52  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

A  fish  bone  in  a  cat's  throat  is  a  troublesome  obstruction. 
If  it  can  be  pushed  down  with  the  finger  all  well  and  good, 
but  if  not  the  only  thing  is  to  wait  and  let  it  dissolve.  This 
generally  takes  place  after  about  five  days.  You  may  have 
to  feed  the  cat  in  the  meantime. 

A  simple  means  of  lubricating  a  cat's  throat,  if  it  seems 
sore  or  swollen,  is  to  butter  her  paws,  she  will  then  lick  off 
the  butter  just  as  many  times  as  you  put  it  on.  A  spoonful 
of  warm  salad  oil  often  clears  the  throat,  and  after  this  the 
cat  may  have  a  try  to  swallow  the  food  from  which  she  had 
previously  turned  away. 

If  in  giving  your  puss  oil,  you  grease  her  coat,  apply  a 
little  violet  powder  with  your  fingers,  rubbing  it  well  into 
the  fur.  I  have  also  found  the  papier  poudrd  sold  for  the 
complexion  an  excellent  means  of  removing  greasy  sub- 
stances which  are  so  disfiguring  to  a  cat's  coat. 

After  giving  worm  powders  to  your  cats,  I  recommend  a 
saucer  of  hot  milk,  about  an  hour  afterwards,  whether  the 
dose  has  taken  effect  or  not. 

The  eyes  in  cats  vary  very  much  according  to  their  state 
of  health.  I  have  seen  cats'  eyes  seem  half  their  natural 
size  when  puss  has  been  suffering  from  worms.  Stud  cats 
quickly  lose  the  depth  of  colour  and  brilliancy  of  their  eyes. 
But  this  in  no  way  affects  their  progeny. 

I  came  across  a  case  the  other  day  of  a  big  strong  neuter 
cat  who  was  certainly  a  victim  to  a  tape  worm.  We  tried 
various  vermifuges  in  fairly  large  quantities,  but  with  no 
results,  so  I  deiermined  to  experiment  with  some  of  Spratt's 
puppy  worm  powders,  and  the  pests  were  speedily  got  rid 
of.  These  powders,  however,  are  much  too  strong  for 
kittens  and  must  be  used  with  caution  even  for  cats. 

It  is  very  important  to  make  sure  that  a  dosing  for  worms 
has  been  effectual.  For  this  purpose  it  is  best  to  shut  a  cat 
up  after  medicine  has  been  given  and  to  place  a  thin  layer 
of  earth  in  the  pan  provided  for  her. 


Mrs.  Neild's  Silver  "Lord  Hampton' 

Landort  photo,  Eating 


HINTS   ON   CARE  AND   MANAGEMENT      53 

There  is  a  knack  in  giving  medicine  to  cats.  It  is  always 
best  to  have  an  assistant  if  your  cat  is  at  all  difficult  to 
manage.  Struggling  with  a  sick  animal  often  does  more 
harm  than  the  medicine  to  be  given  can  do  good. 

In  dosing  cats  it  is  essential  to  consider  the  age  as  well 
as  weight,  and  a  young  cat  and  a  very  old  one  require 
smaller  doses  than  middle-aged  pussies. 

Oil  has  a  most  deplorable  way  of  imparting  its  taste 
and  smell  to  everything  it  comes  in  contact  with.  Try  and 
avoid  using  it  outwardly  or  inwardly  for  your  pussies.  It 
takes  a  long  time  to  get  rid  of  a  greasiness  of  coat  and  fur. 

Before  starting  a  cat  on  a  course  of  tonics  I  should 
recommend  a  mild  aperient,  and  one  occasionally  during 
the  course  is  often  advisable. 


Neuters 

If  you  intend  having  a  cat  made  neuter  you  should  keep 
him  on  low  plain  diet  for  two  or  three  days  before  the 
operation.  Do  not  hand  your  pet  over  to  an  inexperienced 
person,  but  take  it  to  a  good  veterinary  and  pay  the  extra 
fee  for  cocaine  or  chloroform  to  be  used. 

Opinions  differ  as  to  the  most  suitable  age  for  a  cat  to  be 
made  neuter.  I  think  that  from  five  to  eight  months  is  the 
best  time,  as  kittens  gelded  when  very  young  do  not  attain 
the  same  fine  proportions.  After  eight  months  there  is 
more  risk  to  the  animal,  and  the  operation  ought  not  to  be 
performed  at  all  if  the  male  has  shown  any  desire  to  mate. 
At  all  times  send  your  puss  to  a  well-qualified  veterinary. 

I  have  been  told  on  good  authority  that  if  a  female  cat 
is  to  be  made  neuter  she  ought  to  be  allowed  to  have  one 
litter  before  the  operation  is  performed. 


54  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 


Miscellaneous 

Do  not  let  those  little  bits  of  dry  brown  accumulations 
remain  at  the  corners  of  your  cat's  eyes,  as  in  time  they 
wear  off  the  fur,  and,  when  removed,  bare  places  disfigure 
your  pet's  face. 

Unless  absolutely  necessary  do  not  send  your  puss  away 
from  home  when  ill,  but  nurse  her  in  her  own  familiar 
surroundings,  where  she  will  far  more  likely  recover  than  in 
a  strange  place,  amongst  strangers. 

I  know  there  is  a  superstition  that  it  is  unlucky  ever  to 
weigh  your  cat  or  kitten,  but  I  think  it  is  a  very  useful  way 
of  finding  out  whether  your  puss  keeps  in  good  health.  If 
after  taking  the  weight  of  my  cat,  I  found  him  rapidly 
getting  lighter,  I  should  give  a  course  of  cod  liver  oil.  This 
is  a  specially  good  thing  during  the  winter  months.  I  find 
that  most  cats  will  lick  it  up  with  a  relish,  but  it  is  best  to 
mix  a  teaspoonful  with  fish. 

If  you  notice  an  offensive  smell  coming  from  your  cat's 
mouth  have  a  look  at  his  teeth.  It  is  sometimes  necessary 
to  have  the  teeth  scaled.  There  may  also  be  a  decayed 
tooth  that  needs  extraction. 

If  you  have  had  any  infectious  complaints  in  your  catteries, 
such  as  distemper  or  influenza,  after  removing  your  pussies 
fumigate  your  cat-house.  Close  it  up  as  thoroughly  as  possible, 
place  an  old  shovel  in  the  centre  on  the  floor  containing 
sulphur.  Put  a  live  coal  in  the  powder,  and  leave  it  a  whole 
day  or  night.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  afterwards  syringe  into  all 
cracks  and  crevices  with  a  strong  solution  of  carbolic  acid. 

I  have  unlimited  faith  in  Eucalyptus,  and  in  the  prepara- 
tions of  the  Eucryl  Company  this  is  the  chief  ingredient. 
I  would  draw  special  attention  to  their  Salubrene,  which 
has  most  valuable  antiseptic  and  deodorising  properties. 
It  is  not  of  a  corrosive  or  poisonous  nature,  and  the  slight 
aroma  is  a  most  agreeable  one.  For  cleansing  and  dis- 
infecting catteries  it  is  splendid. 


Ill 

BREEDING  AND   EXHIBITING 


HAVING  referred  in  the  last  chapter  to  the  rearing  of  kittens 
and  the  treatment  of  Queens  and  Stud  cats,  I  propose  now 
more  especially  to  confine  myself  to  the  various  matings  and 
crossing  of  breeds  which  are  generally  considered  admissible 
and  advisable.  A  broad  rule  may  be  laid  down  to  start  with, 
namely,  that  Selfs  should  not  be  crossed  with  Tabby-marked 
cats  or  vice  versa.  Take  white  cats  for  instance.  It  is 
a  great  pity  to  cross  them  with  any  other  variety  as  probably 
broken  breeds  would  be  the  result.  Some  fanciers  have 
tried  them  with  Silvers  in  order  to  get  very  pale  and  un- 
marked kittens,  but  I  have  not  heard  of  any  satisfactory 
results.  Black  cats  may  be  mated  with  great  success  to 
Blues.  I  know  of  many  instances  where  anyhow,  one  kitten 
of  such  parents,  has  proved  to  be  a  beautiful  Blue  with  the 
deep  amber  eyes  so  much  desired.  I  have  one  in  my 
possession  which  has  taken  high  honours.  Then  again  an 
Orange  or  Tortoiseshell  may  be  crossed  with  a  Black.  In 
fact  a  really  good  Black,  male  or  female,  is  a  cat  to  be  culti- 
vated by  fanciers  both  for  breeding  and  exhibiting  purposes. 
It  has  been  the  ambition  of  many  a  fancier  to  breed  a  Tor- 
toiseshell Tom  and  I  believe  the  most  likely  mode  of  suc- 
ceeding is  to  pair  a  strong  young  black  male  with  a  Tortoise- 
shell  Queen  of  more  mature  age.  1  have  never  seen  or 
heard  of  a  Long-haired  Tortoiseshell  Tom,  although  we  have 
some  short-haired  specimens  in  the  Fancy.  I  have  had  a 
good  deal  of  experience  in  breeding  Blues,  and  if  it  is  desired 


56  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

to  have  all  good  Blue  kittens,  then  keep  these  clear  of  any 
other  breed.  If  bred  with  Blacks,  you  must  be  content  with 
perhaps  only  one  or  at  most  two  Blues  in  a  litter.  A  Blue 
and  a  Tortoiseshell  may  be  mated  together  if  Creams  are 
desired  and,  again,  a  Blue  and  a  Cream  can  be  crossed  for 
the  same  purpose.  You  must  run  the  risk,  however,  of 
getting  an  oddity  half  blue  and  half  cream,  commonly  called 
Blue  Tortoiseshell.  These  are  useful  for  breeding  Creams, 
but  they  are  not  desirable  for  exhibition  purposes.  The  ex- 
periment of  crossing  Blues  and  Silvers  cannot  be  said  to  be 
satisfactory ;  the  blue  tinge  destroys  the  purity  of  the  silver 
tone  and  very  often  only  light  Smokes  are  the  outcome 
of  such  matings.  These  nondescript  cats  can  find  no 
abiding-place  in  the  Show  pens  for  some  judges  call  them 
Smokes  and  others  declare  they  can  only  be  judged  in  the 
"  any  other  colour  "  class.  Blues  mated  with  Tabbies  too 
often  result  in  Blue  Tabbies  or  the  sound  solid  colour  of  the 
blue  will  be  marred  by  markings.  Two  Brown  Tabbies 
almost  invariably  produce  a  Black  in  the  litter.  Very  good 
Brown  Tabbies  are  bred  from  Tortoiseshells.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  Brown  Tabbies  are  amongst  the  hardiest  of  long- 
haired cats  and  they  have  more  massive  limbs  and  broader 
skulls.  Therefore,  if  stamina  is  desired,  get  some  Brown 
Tabby  blood  in  your  strains.  A  Silver  Tabby  weak  in 
markings  may  be  crossed  with  a  Black  to  bring  out  their 
density.  The  great  failing  in  this  beautiful  breed  is  too 
often  their  blurred  appearance  and  want  of  distinctness 
in  the  tabby  marks  and  this  is  frequently  the  result  of 
mating  with  a  Silver.  By  the  way,  what  a  thing  of  beauty  a 
cat  marked  like  a  zebra  would  be  !  Silver  Tabbies  should 
not  be  mated  with  any  other  variety  of  Tabby.  The  Orange 
or  Red  Tabby  is  an  attractive  cat  though  finely  marked 
specimens  are  scarce  and,  as  is  generally  known,  females  of 
this  breed  are  much  rarer  than  males.  Breeders  of  Tabbies 
should  strive  to  eradicate  white  chins  which  are  too  much  in 
evidence.  Silvers  or  Chinchillas  have  had  all  sorts  of  ex- 
periments tried  upon  them  but  I  think  that  in  this  breed,  as 
in  Smokes,  it  is  best  to  keep  the  purity  of  colour  so  beautiful 
in  the  Silver  and  the  white  undercoat  so  desirable  in  the 
Smoke  Persians.  In  shorthaired  breeds  it  will  only  be 
necessary  to  draw  attention  to  the  Siamese,  Manx  and  Blue 


!  I 


BREEDING  AND   EXHIBITING  57 

as  my  remarks  regarding  the  mating  of  Selfs  and  Tabbies 
apply  equally  to  the  short-  and  to  the  long-haired  breeds. 
Siamese  are  a  special  breed  to  themselves  and  should  be 
kept  as  such  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  Manx  and  Blues. 
All  attempts  to  cross  these  cats  with  other  breeds  should  be 
discouraged. 

It  is  the  laudable  ambition  of  all  breeders  to  become 
exhibitors,  and  certainly  there  is  infinitely  more  honour  and 
glory  in  winning  with  a  cat  or  kitten  which  one  has  bred 
than  with  an  animal  that  money  has  purchased.  I  have 
given  some  hints  in  my  paragraphs  as  to  the  best  way  of 
preparing  cats  for  exhibition.  There  is  no  doubt  that  cat 
fanciers  do  not  pay  the  same  amount  of  attention  to  the  speci- 
mens they  are  intending  to  send  to  a  show  as  do  members  of 
the  dog,  rabbit  or  pigeon  fancy.  This  is  a  pity,  for  condi- 
tion goes  so  far  to  propitiate  a  judge,  and  a  noted  winner 
with  almost  perfect  points  may  fail  to  "  catch  the  Speaker's 
eye"  if  his  coat  is  knotted  and  his  tail  draggled.  We 
generally  speak  of  a  Persian  cat  being  out  of  condition  when 
it  is  not  in  good  coat,  and  certainly  I  should  advise  such  cats 
being  kept  at  home.  There  are  so  many  shows  held  nowadays, 
that  if  your  puss  is  shedding  her  coat  at  the  time  of  one 
show,  you  may  reasonably  hope  she  may  be  in  form  for  the 
next. 

A  word  about  judging  may  be  of  interest.  I  find  the 
easiest  and  quickest  way  to  set  about  making  the  awards  in 
a  large  class  is  to  start  by  first  marking  the  absent  exhibits, 
then  placing  a  cross  against  those  specimens  that  could  not 
come  within  the  prize  list.  After  this  I  search  for  my 
winners,  and  having  perhaps  brought  down  the  number  to 
about  six  or  seven,  I  proceed  to  take  the  cats  from  their 
pens,  and  if  arrangements  permit  to  have  two  out  at  a  time, 
so  as  to  make  comparisons.  For  this  purpose,  judging  pens 
are  most  useful.  In  Selfs  it  is  soundness  of  colour  that  the 
judge  should  first  consider ;  in  Tabbies,  the  markings  must 
rank  first ;  in  Silvers,  according  to  the  dictates  of  specialists 
of  this  breed,  paleness  of  colour  is  of  paramount  import- 
ance. Some  judges,  however,  will  be  guided  by  purity  of 
colour  and  the  general  shape  of  body,  limbs  and  head,  and 
darker  shadings  and  tabby  markings  will  be  secondary  con- 
siderations. The  Blue  and  Silver  classes  are  perhaps  the 


58  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

most  difficult  to  judge,  and  also  they  are  generally  the 
largest.  The  many  specialist  clubs  have  their  standard  of 
points  (as  given  in  the  concluding  chapter),  but  a  good  judge 
will  bring  his  experience  and  his  common  sense  to  bear  upon 
the  exhibits,  and  these  definitions  therefore  are  likely  to  be  of 
more  service  to  fanciers,  who  should  always  aim  at  perfection, 
though  they  may  not  attain  to  it.  For  the  benefit  of  novices 
in  the  fancy,  let  me  say  that,  before  showing  a  cat  at  any  of 
the  large  shows,  the  first  step  is  to  register  it  with  the  Club 
under  whose  rules  the  show  is  held.  At  the  present  time  the 
National  Cat  Club  and  The  Cat  Club  are  at  loggerheads 
over  the  question  of  registration,  but  without  entering  further 
into  the  matter,  I  would  say  that  it  is  the  earnest  hope  of  all 
fanciers  that  in  the  future  one  register  should  be  kept. 
The  forms  at  present  used  by  the  respective  clubs  are  here 
reproduced.  To  any  one  with  average  intelligence  the  filling 
in  of  these  is  not  a  difficult  matter.  If  a  schedule  of  the 
show  is  not  sent  to  you,  apply  to  the  secretary  whose  name 
and  address  will  be  published  in  the  cat  papers.  Then  read 
carefully  the  exhibition  rules,  and  pay  special  attention  to 
the  classification  before  filling  up  the  entry  form,  which 
together  with  the  fee  should  be  forwarded  in  good  time  to 
the  secretary.  I  have  given  several  hints  in  my  paragraphs 
as  to  the  best  modes  of  packing  the  pussies  both  in  cold  and 
hot  weather,  so  I  would  only  impress  on  fanciers  to  do  all  in 
their  power  to  mitigate  the  discomfort  and  risk  which  must 
always  attend  a  cat  travelling  alone  to  and  from  a  show. 


REGISTRATION 

The  Registration  Rules  of  the  National  Cat  Club  are  as 
follows : 

i.  Every  Cat  exhibited  at  a  show  under  National  Cat  Club  Rules 
must  (except  such  as  are  exhibited  exclusively  in  Local  Classes,  or 
exhibited  in  Classes  exclusively  for  litters  of  kittens),  previous  to  the 
tin^e  of  entry  for  such  show,  have  been  entered  in  a  registry  kept  by 
the  National  Cat  Club  at  their  offices.  A  charge  of  is.  each  shall 
be  made  for  registration.  In  such  registry  shall  be  inserted  the 
name  and  breed  of  the  cat,  and  its  breeder's  name,  the  date  of  birth, 
names  of  sire  and  dam,  and  of  grand-sires  and  grand-dams,  and  if 
the  dam  was  served  by  two  or  more  cats  their  several  names  must 
be  stated.  If  the  age,  pedigree  or  breeder's  name  be  not  known  the 
cat  must  be  registered  as  breeder,  age  or  pedigree  "unknown,"  any 


BREEDING  AND   EXHIBITING  59 

or  all  as  the  case  may  be.  If  the  name  of  a  cat  be  changed,  or  an 
old  name  re-assumed,  such  cat  must  be  again  registered,  and  identi- 
fied before  exhibition  in  its  altered  name. 

2.  A  name  which  has  been  duly  registered  in  accordance  with 
Rule  i  cannot  be  again  accepted  for  registration  of  a  cat  of  the  same 
breed,  without  the  addition  of  a  distinguishing  number,  prefix  or 
affix,  for  a  period  of  five  years,  calculated  from  the  first  day  of  the 
year  next  after  the  one  in  which  the  name  was  last  registered  ;  but 
the  name  of  a  cat  after  publication  in  "  Our  Cats  "  and  the  Stud  Book, 
or  which  has  become  eligible  for  free  entry  therein  cannot  again  be 
assumed. 

N.B. — The  name  of  a  cat  that  has  become  eligible  for  free  entry 
in  the  Stud  Book  in  any  year  shall  not  be  changed  after  the  3ist  of 
December  of  that  year. 

Cats  do  not  receive  a  Number  on  registration.  Numbers  are  only 
assigned  to  Prize  Winners,  or  cats  entered  in  the  Stud  Book  on  its 
publication,  on  payment  of  a  fee  of  Five  Shillings,  in  addition  to 
One  Shilling  for  registration. 

The  application  for  Registration  must  be  made  on  a  form 
as  follows  : 

NUMBER  OF  BREED  AS  PER  LIST  IN  MARGIN_ COLOUR 

I  wish  to  register  the  following Sex?  by  the  name  of 

Previously  registered  by  the  name  of 


Signature  of  Owner 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  or  Miss 

Address        


LATE  OWNER  (if  any). 


SIRE ,G.  SIRE_ 

OWNER  OF  SIRE 1 G.  DAM. 

DAM jG.  SIRE 

OWNER  OF  DAM *•  G.  DAM 

DATE  OF  BIRTH 


NAME  &  ADDRESS  OF  BREEDER 


NOTE. — If  this  name  cannot  be  registered,  I  select  one  of  the 

following,  and  name  them  in  the  order  named  :  (i) 

(2) (3) . 


6o 


CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 


Only  one  Cat  must  be  entered  on  one  form,  which  must 
be  forwarded  with  a  remittance  of  one  shilling  to  Mrs. 
A.  Stennard  Robinson,  Hon.  Sec.,  at  5,  Great  James  Street, 
Bedford  Row,  London,  W.C. 

The  various  varieties  as  recognised  by  the  Club  are  as 
follows : 


SHORT-HAIRED  CATS. 

1.  SIAMESE. 

2.  BLUE. 

3.  MANX. 

4.  FOREIGN. 

5.  TABBY. 

6.  SPOTTED. 

7.  BICOLOUR. 

8.  TRICOLOUR. 

9.  TORTOISESHELL. 

10.  BLACK. 
n.  WHITE. 

12.  SABLE. 

13.  TICKS. 

14.  ABYSSINIAN. 


LONG-HAIRED  CATS, 

15.  BLACK. 

16.  WHITE. 

17.  BLUE. 

1 8.  ORANGE. 

19.  CREAM. 

20.  SABLE. 

21.  SMOKE. 

22.  TABBY. 

23.  SPOTTED. 

24.  CHINCHILLA. 

25.  TORTOISESHELL. 

26.  BICOLOUR. 

27.  TRICOLOUR. 


The  Rules  for  Registration  in  the  Cat  Club  are  as 
follows : 

In  the  following  Rules  the  word  "CAT"  shall  be  interpreted  to 
include  domesticated  Cats  of  both  sexes  and  neuters,  and  the  word 
"  KITTEN  "  shall  be  interpreted  to  include  domesticated  Kittens  of 
both  sexes  and  neuters,  five  months  old  and  under  eight  months  old 
on  the  first  day  of  the  show. 

RULE  i. — Every  Cat  and  Kitten  exhibited  at  a  Show  held  under 
The  Cat  Club  Exhibition  Rules  must  (except  such  as  are  exhibited 
exclusively  in  local  classes),  previous  to  the  time  of  entry  for  such 
show,  have  been  entered  in  the  Register  kept  by  The  Cat  Club  for  that 
purpose  alone.  Registration  in  any  other  Club  shall  not  be  accepted.  A 
charge  of  sixpence  shall  be  made  for  each  Cat  or  Kitten  registered. 
In  such  Register  shall  be  inserted  the  name,  breed,  and  colour  of 
the  Cat  or  Kitten,  and  its  breeder's  name,  the  date  of  birth,  name 
of  sire  and  dam,  and  of  grand-sire  and  grand-dam.  If  the  age, 
pedigree,  or  breeder's  name  be  not  known,  the  Cat  or  Kitten  must  be 
registered  as  "age,  breeder,  or  pedigree  unknown  " — any  or  all,  as 
the  case  may  be. 

If  the  name  of  a  Cat  or  Kitten  be  changed,  or  an  old  name  be  re- 
assumed,  such  a  Cat  or  Kitten  must  be  again  registered  and  identi- 
fied, before  exhibition  in  its  altered  name,  for  which  a  fee  of  one 
shilling  shall  be  charged. 


BREEDING  AND   EXHIBITING  61 

On  change  of  ownership,  the  transfer  of  a  Cat  or  Kitten  must  be 
registered ;  and  no  Cat  or  Kitten  will  be  eligible  for  exhibition  at 
any  show  held  under  The  Cat  Club  Exhibition  Rules  until  such 
registration  shall  have  been  made,  for  which  a  fee  of  one  shilling 
shall  be  charged. 

The  Register  shall  be  published  every  twelve  months  at  least, 
and  at  such  prices  and  in  such  form  as  the  committee  may  decide 
upon  from  time  to  time. 

Registration  forms  shall  be  supplied  free  of  charge  to  breeders, 
owners,  and  exhibitors  of  Cats  and  Kittens,  and  also  to  secretaries 
and  promoters  of  shows  held  under  The  Cat  Club  Exhibition  Rules. 

RULE  2. — A  name  which  has  been  duly  registered  in  accordance 
with  Rule  i  cannot  be  again  accepted  for  registration  of  a  Cat  or 
Kitten  of  the  same  breed,  without  the  addition  of  a  distinguishing 
prefix  or  affix. 

RULE  3.— Any  Cat  or  Kitten  exhibited  at  a  Show  under  The  Cat 
Club  Exhibition  Rules,  must  be  the  bond-fide  property  of  the 
Exhibitor  in  whose  name  it  is  entered,  and  must  have  been  so 
fourteen  clear  days  before  the  first  day  of  the  show. 

Each  Cat  or  Kitten  must,  on  the  entry  form,  be  clearly  identified 
in  accordance  with  and  as  required  in  Rules  i  and  2 — save  that  the 
names  of  the  grandparents  need  not  be  stated — and  on  such  entry 
form  must  be  a  declaration,  signed  by  the  exhibitor,  that  the  Cat  or 
Kitten  is  entered  subject  to  The  Cat  Club  Exhibition  Rules. 

RULE  4. — If  the  name  of  a  Cat  or  Kitten  which  has  won  a  prize 
in  a  class  in  any  Show  held  under  The  Cat  Club  Exhibition  Rules, 
has  been  changed ;  on  entering  the  said  Cat  or  Kitten  for  a  show, 
the  exhibitor  must,  on  the  entry  form,  give  the  former  name  or 
names,  as  well  as  the  new  name,  until  the  change  or  changes  have 
been  duly  published  in  The  Cat  Club  Stud  Book. 

The  name  of  any  Cat  or  Kitten,  after  publication  in  The  Cat  Club 
Stud  Book,  or  which  has  become  eligible  for  entry  therein,  cannot 
be  changed. 

RULE  5. — If  a  Cat  or  Kitten  is  owned  by  more  than  one  person, 
the  names  of  all  the  owners  must  be  given  on  the  entry  forms,  and 
on  the  registration,  change  of  name,  and  change  of  owner  forms ; 
but  only  one  fee  shall  be  charged  for  each  such  entry,  whatever  the 
number  of  owners  may  be. 

RULE  6. — If  a  Cat  or  Kitten  be  entered,  except  as  before  directed 
by  Rules  i,  2,  3,  4,  and  5,  such  Cat  or  Kitten  shall  forfeit  any  prize 
that  may  have  been  awarded  ;  and  if  the  error  be  detected  in  time, 
such  Cat  or  Kitten  shall  not  be  allowed  to  compete,  and  shall,  in 
either  case,  forfeit  all  entrance  fees  and  subscriptions — save  that  the 
General  Committee  of  The  Cat  Club  may,  on  appeal  to  them,  for 
good  cause  shown,  remit  all  or  any  part  of  the  forfeits  herein 
mentioned. 


Ill  (continued) 

•      PRACTICAL  HINTS  ON  BREEDING  AND 
EXHIBITING 

Breeding  and  Mating 

IN  selecting  a  male  cat  for  stud  purposes,  you  should  be 
guided  a  great  deal  by  the  size  of  head  and  limbs.  A  good 
sire  for  future  generations  should  possess  a  massive,  well- 
formed  body  with  broad  head.  Take  especial  notice  of  the 
width  between  the  ears,  and  beware  of  a  long  nose  and  face. 
Very  large  and  pointed  ears  are  most  undesirable.  It  also 
spoils  the  appearance  of  the  cat  if  the  ears  are  very  wide  at 
the  base. 

Siamese  kittens  are  always  white  when  born,  and  gradually 
their  ears,  legs,  tail,  and  face  darken.  The  denser  these 
points  become  the  more  valuable  arc  the  specimens.  A 
kink  in  the  tail  is  considered  a  beauty.  Blue  eyes  are  very 
essential.  It  is  a  pity  that  Siamese  cats  gradually  lose  the 
beautiful  pale  fawn  colour,  and  their  coats  darken  as  they 
grow  older.  It  is  quite  the  exception  to  see  a  grown-up 
Siamese  light  in  body  colour.  Never  try  mating  a  Siamese 
with  any  other  breed.  Experiments  have  been  made  in  this 
respect,  but  no  good  results  have  followed. 

To  novices  in  the  Silver  fancy,  let  me  say  that  they  must 
not  be  disappointed  if  after  sending  their  queen  to  a  noted 
Silver  stud,  she  should  produce  what  appear  like  very  datk 
smoke,  or  almost  black  kittens.  These  will  become  lighter 


BREEDING   AND   EXHIBITING  63 

every  day,  and  it  is  often  the  darkest  kittens  that  turn  out 
the  palest  Silvers. 

The  days  of  pussy's  gestation  are  about  sixty-three,  but  I 
generally  find  it  is  best  to  calculate  for  three  days  extra,  this 
being  counted  from  the  last  day  of  mating.  It  is  always 
safer  after  the  queen  has  been  on  a  visit  to  keep  her  shut 
up  for  a  few  days. 

Do  not  worry  if  your  queens  refuse  to  feed  during  the 
time  they  are  mating.  When  quieted  down  puss  will  make 
up  for  lost  time. 

If  you  have  a  stud  cat  and  receive  queens,  it  is  always 
courteous  and  kind  to  write  a  line  to  the  sender  immediately 
on  the  arrival  of  the  traveller.  Tnus  the  anxious  mind  of 
the  owner  is  set  at  rest.  Then  you  should  give  due  notice 
of  the  time  of  train  by  which  you  are  returning  the  visitor. 
Avoid  despatching  a  cat  on  a  Saturday. 

I  am  not  much  in  favour  of  mating  Blues  and  Silvers 
together,  as  this  cross  frequently  results  in  Silver  Smokes,  a 
sort  of  nondescript  cat  that  finds  no  abiding  class  at  our 
shows,  and  is  also  rather  an  unsatisfactory  cat  from  which  to 
breed. 

In  selecting  a  stud  cat  we  should  consider  the  points  of 
our  queens.  It  is  not  always  the  greatest  prize-winner  that 
is  the  most  desirable  mate  for  a  particular  female.  We 
must  pair  them  according  to  the  good  points  in  one  and  the 
defects  in  the  other,  and  thus  we  may  gain  the  happy 
medium.  If  your  queen  is  wanting  in  breadth  of  skull  and 
shortness  of  face,  try  to  remedy  and  counterbalance  these 
defects  by  finding  a  stud  cat  with  these  points  strongly 
developed.  Two  prize-winning  cats  may  not  produce  even 
average  good  kittens. 

Of  all  the  breeds  of  long-haired  cats,  brown  Tabbies  may 
be  said  to  be  the  strongest.  This  handsome  breed  seems 
coming  to  the  fore.  Certainly  to  a  novice  in  the  fancy 
brown  Tabbies  are  less  trouble,  by  reason  of  their  hardy 


64  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

natures.    Two  brown  Tabbies  mated  together  often  produce 
a  black  in  the  litter,  and  generally  a  very  good  specimen. 

Do  not  let  your  queens  mate  before  they  are  nine  months 
old,  and  it  is  better  to  wait  another  three  months  if  possible. 
I  do  not  think  sufficient  attention  is  paid  to  the  desirability 
of  stud  cats  and  queens  being  in  good  coat  at  the  time  of 
mating. 

It  is  considered  the  correct  thing  to  forward  your  fee  for 
mating  at  the  same  time  you  send  your  queen.  The  usual 
rule  in  catty  circles  is  to  allow  a  second  visit  should  the  first 
prove  unsuccessful,  but  this  cannot  be  insisted  upon,  and 
therefore  it  is  better  for  the  sender  to  ask  if  this  courtesy 
will  be  permitted  when  writing  to  announce  the  despatch  of 
the  queen. 

I  have  often  been  asked  if  I  consider  that  the  litters  of  a 
Persian  queen  who  has  mismated  previously  with  a  common 
cat  are  in  any  way  affected  afterwards.  I  believe  this  ques- 
tion has  never  been  satisfactorily  answered,  but  I  know  a 
case  in  point,  and  certainly  these  kittens  of  a  good  Persian 
sire  and  dam  are  remarkably  poor  specimens  and  are  what 
might  be  called  half-breds.  I  can  only  attribute  this  to  the 
blue  female  having  twice  strayed  from  the  paths  of  virtue 
previous  to  the  attentions  of  the  prize-winning  Persian. 

If  you  are  purchasing  a  self-coloured  cat,  be  careful  to 
examine  whether  it  has  a  white  spot  or  tuft  of  white  hairs  on 
throat  or  stomach.  This  is  a  decided  blemish,  and  repeats 
itself  in  future  generations.  Our  best  judges  consider  a 
white  spot  should  count  as  a  point  against  a  cat  entered  in 
a  sett-coloured  class.  This  is  much  fairer  to  both  exhibitor 
and  judge  than  to  relegate  a  good  Blue  or  Black  with  the 
few  offending  white  hairs  to  the  "  any  other  colour  class." 

One  of  the  most  difficult  cats  to  breed  is  a  pale  Cream, 
uniform  in  colour,  and  having  no  markings  on  head  and 
legs.  A  Tortoiseshell  and  a  Blue  often  produce  good 
Creams. 


Mrs.  W.  Vidal's  Orange  Persian  Male 
•'  Torrington  Sunnysides  " 


BREEDING  AND   EXHIBITING  65 

Do  not  mate  tabby-marked  cats  with  self-coloured  ones. 
For  instance,  a  blue  Persian  queen  should  be  sent  to  a  stud 
cat  of  her  own  colour,  or  to  a  Black,  not  to  a  brown  or 
orange  Tabby.  Breeders  have  lately  been  crossing  Blues 
with  Chinchillas,  or  Silvers,  and  some  good  results  have 
followed,  but  this  should  not  be  attempted  if  the  Silver  is  at 
all  heavily  marked  with  stripes.  In  this  case  the  litter 
might  consist  of  blue  Tabbies,  and  although  these  are 
pretty  cats  for  pets,  they  are  useless  for  breeding  or  show 
purposes. 

I  have  always  considered  that  the  mating  of  a  good  amber- 
eyed  Black  queen  with  a  pale  Blue  male  is  most  satisfactory 
in  results.  I  have  seen  several  examples.  In  one  litter  two 
almost  perfect  blues  and  two  black,  in  the  other,  one  blue 
gem  and  three  blacks.  The  blues  were  particularly  sound 
in  colour  and  had  the  round  orange  eyes,  which  are  so 
attractive  in  black  cats. 

It  is  not  always  that  the  best  blue-eyed  Whites  or  orange- 
eyed  Blues  are  bred  from  parents  who  are  both  possessed  of 
these  desirable  points,  so  don't  distress  yourself  if  you  have 
an  odd-eyed  White  queen,  but  send  her  to  a  good  blue-eyed 
White  stud,  and  some  in  your  litter  may  yet  have  the 
coi  rect-coloured  eyes. 

It  is  very  seldom,  if  ever,  that  a  Blue  stud  cat  retains  the 
deep  tones  of  orange  or  yellow  in  his  eyes.  These  get 
lighter  with  age  and  service.  This  fact  does  not,  however, 
affect  the  progeny.  Orange  eyes  are  rarer  in  Blue  cats  of  a 
pale  tint  than  in  those  of  darker  colour,  and  it  is  more 
difficult  to  obtain  absolute  soundness  of  colour  in  light 
Blues  than  in  those  of  a  medium  shade. 

In  order  to  obtain  the  nice  rich  tawny  colour  so  desirable 
in  brown  Tabbies,  one  is  tempted  to  try  mating  with  an 
Orange.  I  have  found,  however,  that  the  experiment  has 
resulted  in  a  description  of  tortoiseshell  Tabby  which  is  no 
good  for  breeding  or  showing  purposes.  If  your  Tabby 
queen  is  rather  drab  in  tone,  select  a  good  sire  of  the 
golden  brown  order,  and  you  will  be  rewarded. 

E 


66  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

I  would  never  recommend  fanciers  to  try  and  breed  from 
a  queen  that  has  confirmed  snuffles.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  the  kittens  are  affected  by  this  complaint  in  the  mother, 
and  are  weak  and  ailing.  Snuffles  can  doubtless  be  cured 
in  young  cats,  but  when  this  distressing  disease  has  been  of 
long  standing,  it  is  really  hopeless. 

A  good  tortoiseshell  female  Persian  is  a  splendid  invest- 
ment, but  care  should  be  taken  to  obtain  a  really  fine 
specimen.  There  are  several  cats  called  tortoiseshell, 
which  are  really  tortoiseshell  Tabbies,  others  that  have 
streaks  of  colour  running  into  each  other.  A  good  Tor- 
toiseshell is  a  combination  of  red,  yellow,  and  black 
patches,  without  any  white.  A  Tortoiseshell  queen  can  be 
mated  with  advantage  to  a^ost  any  coloured  sire,  and  her 
litters  may,  and  probably  will,  be  very  varied.  I  think  that 
even  the  rising  generation  in  the  cat  world  know  how  rare 
a  thing  is  a  Tortoiseshell  Tom  ! 

It  is  f ilse  economy  to  purchase  cheap  and  indifferent 
queens,  if  you  intend  to  go  in  for  breeding  and  exhibiting. 
1  am  inclined  to  think  that  more  depends  on  the  quality  of 
the  dam  than  the  sire.  Certain  it  is  that  the  kittens  more 
frequently  take  after  their  mother  as  regards  colour.  A 
Black  female  mated  to  a  Blue  stud  seldom  has  more  than 
one  like  the  father,  and  I  have  frequently  known  the  whole 
litter  to  be  of  the  mother's  dusky  hue. 

It  is  always  advisable  before  sending  your  queen  to  mate 
to  find  out  the  pedigree  of  the  stud  she  is  to  visit,  so  that 
in-breeding  may  be  avoided.  I  am  not  against  one  mating 
of  father  and  daughter,  or  mother  and  son,  for  I  have  known 
excellent  results  from  this  arrangement,  but  the  experiment 
must  not  be  repeated.  Avoid  entirely  the  mating  of  brothers 
with  sisters. 

If  your  young  queen  has  shown  signs  of  wanting  to  mate 
more  than  twice,  do  not  keep  her  back  again,  although  she 
may  be  under  a  year  old. 

Any   one  possessing  a  well  marked  silver  tabby  Persian 


BREEDING  AND   EXHIBITING  67 

female  ought  to  make  a  point  of  mating  her  with  a  silver 
Tabby  male,  avoiding  Chinchillas  and  shaded  Silvers,  as 
such  a  cross  weakens  the  markings,  and  kittens  of  the 
<k  wrong  class  "  and  "  no  class  "  descriptions  are  the  result. 
There  is  certainly  an  opening  for  breeders  of  silver  Tabbies. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  breed  Smokes  with  Blues,  as  in  this 
case  you  lose  the  lovely  white  undercoat  which  is  the  chief 
glory  of  this  handsome  breed.  Like  to  like  should  be  the 
order  of  the  day  as  regards  Smokes. 

Regarding  the  mating  of  Blues  I  would  advise  you  to 
study  soundness  of  colour  in  the  first  place,  then  shape 
of  head.  I  like  a  massive  frame  in  a  male  cat,  with  plenty 
of  breadth  and  bone. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  allow  your  male  cat  to  mate  until 
he  is  a  year  old.  If  he  is  used  at  stud  earlier  he  will  pro- 
bably fail  you  later  on. 

In  announcing  the  despatch  of  a  queen  on  a  visit  to  a 
stud  cat  be  careful  to  write  very  distinctly.  A  hamper 
containing  a  lady  visitor  recently  reached  me,  and  I  discovered 
a  letter  enclosed,  but  I  could  only  make  a  vague  guess  at 
the  signature,  and  the  rather  lengthy  address  was  still  more 
unintelligible. 

Some  cat  fanciers  imagine  that  the  number  of  kittens  in  a 
litter  depends  on  the  length  of  time  the  queen  remains  with 
the  stud.  This  is  an  erroneous  idea.  Nor  do  I  believe  in 
colour  feeding  in  regard  to  cats  and  their  offspring. 

Some  queens  are  of  such  a  timid  nature  that  the  very 
fact  of  sending  them  by  rail  to  a  strange  place  will  com- 
pletely upset  them,  and  the  visit  will  have  no  satisfactory 
results.  In  such  cases  it  may  be  best  to  try  and  come  to 
some  arrangement  with  the  owner  of  the  stud,  and  perhaps 
for  the  consideration  of  a  kitten  in  addition  to  the  fee,  the 
male  cat  may  be  lent  for  a  few  days. 

I  think  I  am  right  in  stating  that  as  regards  registering 


68  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

visits  and  births  in  the  cat  papers,  it  is  the  owner  of  the 
stud  cat  who  sends  the  notice  of  the  visit  and  the  proprietor 
of  the  queen  that  announces  the  arrival  of  the  family.  It  is 
just  as  well  to  have  some  such  rule  amongst  fanciers,  other- 
wise, as  is  sometimes  the  case,  a  duplicate  advertisement 
appears  in  the  same  column. 

When  your  queen  returns  from  visiting  a  stud  cat,  it  is 
well  to  keep  her  shut  up  safely  for  a  few  days.  Cats  are 
often  very  restless  after  their  return  home,  and  the  impres- 
sion is  orten  given  that  the  visit  has  been  fruitless.  It  is 
generally  at  the  end  of  a  month  that  one  is  able  to  judge 
whether  puss  is  intending  to  present  us  with  a  family  or  not. 

I  do  not  approve  of  specials  being  offered  in  the  form  of 
free  visits  to  stud  cats.  This  savours  too  much  of  seif- 
advertisement,  and  does  not  certainly  incur  much  sacrifice. 

Try  and  avoid  sending  your  queens  away  to  mate  on  a 
Saturday,  in  case  of  delays,  as  poor  puss  may  spend  her 
Sabbath  at  a  railway  station. 

It  is  well  to  keep  a  register  of  all  the  queens  visiting  your 
stud  cats,  filling  in  the  date  of  arrival  and  departure.  Such 
a  record  often  comes  in  useful  when  wishing  to  purchase  a 
kitten  of  a  particular  strain,  or  in  answering  inquiries  from 
fanciers. 

Senders  of  queens  to  stud  cats  should  attach  a  label 
inside  the  hamper  or  box,  stating  the  name  and  address 
of  the  owner,  for  should  two  or  three  visitors  arrive  in  the 
same  day,  there  is  a  fear  of  complication  amongst  the  cats 
and  their  travelling  trunks. 


Shows  and  Exhibiting 

If  many  cats  are  kept,  and  some  are  sent  to  shows,  do 
not  let  these,  on  their  return,  mix  with  the  others  who  have 
remained  at  home.  It  is  a  wise  precaution  to  keep  them 
apart  for  some  days. 


Miss  Winifred  Beale's  Champion  Cream 
"Romaldkirk  Admiral" 


BREEDING  AND   EXHIBITING  69 

If  you  are  allowed  to  provide  your  pussies  with  cushions 
at  a  Show,  let  the  neck  ribbon  correspond  in  colour,  as  this 
will  have  a  better  effect.  I  recommend  flannelette  in  pre- 
ference to  more  costly  materials.  It  is  warmer  and  not  so 
slippery  as  silk  or  sateen.  Some  exhibitors  aie  able  to 
afford  velvet ! 

Exhibitors  will  find  little  slip  rings  convenient  to  put  on 
metal  tallies  provided  for  the  cats'  necks  at  shows. 

In  sending  your  pussies  to  the  show,  if  you  pack  them  in 
hampers,  whether  lined  or  unlined,  wrap  the  hamper  in  a 
large  sheet  of  brown  paper,  leaving  only  a  square  space  un- 
covered at  the  top  round  the  handle.  Fasten  securely.  If 
you  padlock  the  box,  don't  forget  to  send  the  key  to  the 
secretary ! 

It  is  as  well  that  exhibitors  should  understand  that  the 
labels  and  tallies  sent  by  the  show  secretary  are  in  them- 
selves an  acknowledgment  of  the  money  received  for  entries. 
Some  impatient  and  unreasonable  exhibitors  write  to  the 
show  secretary  requesting  their  labels,  &c.,  before  the 
advertised  time  of  closing  entries.  How  would  it  be  possible 
to  place  the  pen  number  on  the  labels  when  all  the  entries 
had  not  been  received  ? 

Margarine  baskets  are  cheap  and  handy  for  cats  to  travel 
in;  but  when  they  are  sent  to  shows  exhibitors  should 
attach  some  straps,  as  in  the  hurry  of  packing  up  the 
pussies  it  is  not  easy  to  have  recourse  to  a  packing-needle 
and  string. 

It  is  the  custom  for  exhibitors  to  delay  forwarding  their 
entries  till  just  before  the  lists  are  closed.  This  unfortunate 
habit  entails  much  extra  worry  for  the  show  secretary,  and 
causes  a  desperate  rush  at  the  last. 

I  would  like  to  impress  upon  exhibitors  the  importance  of 
writing  very  distinctly  when  rilling  in  their  entries  for  shows. 
This  hint  especially  applies  to  the  names  of  the  cats,  some 


70  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

of  which  are  often  of  an  out  of-the-way  character,  and  cannot 
even  be  guessed  at. 

I  would  most  earnestly  impress  upon  exhibitors  the 
necessity  of  writing  distinctly  their  full  address  on  the 
reverse  side  of  the  labels  supplied  for  the  return  journey  by 
the  show  authorities.  Try  by  every  means  in  your  power  to 
lessen  the  risks  and  discomforts  for  your  pussies  during 
their  transit  to  and  from  the  shows. 

When  by  any  chance  labels  are  not  received  in  time  to  be 
used  by  exhibitors,  or  they  are  lost,  then  the  hamper  should 
be  addressed  to  the  secretary  of  the  show,  and  a  note  of 
explanation  enclosed.  The  entry  form  can  then  be  looked 
up,  and  the  pen  number  discovered. 

Of  course,  if  possible,  it  is  always  best  to  accompany  your 
pussies  to  a  show,  but  if  you  are  unable  to  do  this,  tnen  it 
is  very  important  you  should  ensure  each  hamper  of  live 
stock.  Do  not  use  straps  which  are  detached  from  the  box 
or  hamper,  as  these  are  so  apt  to  get  mislaid  or  lost. 

If  you  make  up  your  mind  to  enter  yo«r  puss  and  kits  in 
a  litter  class  send  the  whole  family,  as  in  judging  a  litter 
class  quantity,  with  a  due  regard  to  quality,  has  to  be  con- 
sidered. Thus,  a  litter  of  five  very  fairly  good  and  level 
kittens  ought  to  score  over  a  family  of  three,  though  these 
may  be  possessed  of  better  points.  It  is,  therefore,  advis- 
able to  always  send  the  whole  litter,  not  to  pick  and  choose. 

If  you  are  the  owner  of  White  cats  and  take  them  to  a 
show,  I  strongly  advise  you  to  see  that  the  pens  are 
thoroughly  well  rubbed  down  before  you  pen  your  pussies. 

It  is  not  well  to  give  your  cats  a  heavy  meal  before  start- 
ing them  for  a  show.  Hope  and  trust  that  they  may  have 
something  given  to  them  when  they  are  penned. 

Need  I  say,  never  make  any  attempt  at  "  faking  "  your 
cats  when  sending  them  to  shows.  It  is  a  risk,  as  well  as  a 
most  undesirable  operation. 


Miss  Kate  Sangster's  Champion 
"  Royal  Yum  Yum  " 

Ameryt  photo,  Portsmouth 


BREEDING  AND   EXHIBITING  71 

In  sending  specials  for  shows,  be  sure  and  state  if  they 
are  for  cats  or  kittens.  For  instance  ;  "  For  the  best  Blue 
Male  Cat "  will  mean  that  your  prize  will  be  awarded  in  the 
Cat  Class,  and  only  supposing  a  kitten  were  entered  in 
that  class,  could  it  compete  for  your  special.  If  you  wish 
it  to  go  to  a  kitten  then  don't  omit  to  specify  this.  The 
limit  age  for  kittens  varies  at  shows,  sometimes  under  eight 
months,  and  sometimes  under  six  months. 

A  very  good  way  of  cleaning  your  cats  previous  to  show- 
ing is  to  heat  a  good  quantity  of  bran  in  the  oven.  Put  it 
into  a  large  bowl  or  foot-bath,  and  stand  your  puss  in  it. 
Rub  the  hot  bran  well  amongst  her  fur  for  some  minutes, 
and  afterwards  carefully  brush  it  out.  It  is  wonderful  how 
soft  and  silky  this  process  makes  the  coat.  I  do  not  advo- 
cate washing  cats,  even  in  summer  weather,  and  certainly 
not  in  the  winter. 

When  there  is  a  class  for  pairs  of  kittens  provided  at  a 
show,  the  two  exhibits  need  not  necessarily  be  of  the  same 
litter,  but  remember  they  are  judged  as  a  pair,  so  let  their 
size  and  appearance  be  as  alike  as  possible.  It  is  no  use 
to  enter  two  kittens  of  different  colours  in  a  pair  class. 

When  prize-money  is  sent  to  the  winning  exhibitors,  they 
should  acknowledge  the  sum  to  the  show  secretary,  and 
don't  forget  to  thank  the  donors  of  specials.  The  addresses 
are  generally  to  be  found  in  the  catalogue  index,  or  the 
secretary,  if  written  to  (with  stamp  for  reply),  will  give  the 
information  required. 

If  your  cats  are  not  in  good  condition  do  not  send  them 
to  shows.  There  is  but  one  place  for  cats  out  of  coat,  and 
that  is  at  home  ! 

When  cats  are  entered  for  shows  in  joint  names  it  is 
advisable  and  desirable  that  the  owners  should  let  the 
secretary  know  to  whom  to  send  the  labels  and  tallies.  It 
is  sometimes  only  possible  to  forward  these  a  day  or  two 
before  the  show,  and,  if  sent  to  the  address  of  the  owner 


72  CATS   AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

who  does  not  keep  the  cat,  complications  may  arise  from  the 
delay. 

It  is  always  very  important  thoroughly  to  air  and  disinfect 
all  hampers  coming  from  a  show.  I  place  my  pussy's 
travelling  boxes  or  hampers  outside  for  two  or  three  days 
and  nights,  and  let  the  sun,  air  and  rain  cleanse  and  purify 
them.  Then  I  have  them  washed  over  with  some  dis- 
infectant and  water. 

As  regards  pairs  of  kittens,  which  next  to  the  litter  class 
is,  perhaps,  the  most  difficult  to  judge,  I  would  say,  select 
two  kittens  as  near  alike  as  possible  in  colour,  size  and 
quality.  It  is  as  a  pair  that  the  awards  should  be  given, 
and  if  one  exhibit  is  much  superior  to  its  fellow,  then  the 
value  of  the  pair  is  seriously  diminished.  If  your  kittens 
are  different  in  colour  and  variety,  say  an  Orange  and  a 
Tabby,  then  do  not  enter  them  in  a  pair  class,  but  as  single 
kittens,  and  they  will  stand  a  better  chance. 

I  have  noticed  that  many  of  our  best  show  cats  appear 
almost  perfect  in  all  points,  save  and  except  the  ears,  and 
these  are  wide  at  the  base,  tall  and  pointed.  They  should 
be  just  the  opposite.  Therefore  if  your  queen  has  promi- 
nent ears,  try  to  find  a  mate  for  her  with  these  organs  not 
in  evidence.  Ear  tufts  are  great  beautifiers. 

Let  me  suggest  to  all  winners  of  medals  at  shows  that 
they  should  have  them  engraved  with  the  name  of  their  cat, 
the  date  of  the  show,  and  the  place  where  the  show  was 
held.  I  think  it  is  a  pity  that  clubs  do  not  undertake  to 
have  these  inscriptions  engraved,  as  they  would  greatly 
enhance  the  value  of  the  prizes. 

If  your  cat  is  timid  and  you  want  to  exhibit  him,  I  should 
advise  you  to  obtain  some  pen  or  hutch  and  coax  and 
encourage  him  to  come  up  to  the  bars.  In  this  way  you 
will  educate  him  to  place  himself  in  evidence  instead  of 
crouching  at  the  back  of  the  pen,  and  thus  running  the  risk 
of  being  overlooked  by  the  judge.  Besides  we  all  like  our 


BREEDING   AND   EXHIBITING  73 

pets  to  show  themselves  off  to  the  general  public  on  these 
auspicious  occasions. 

I  think  it  is  only  catty  etiquette  if  one  wins  special  prizes 
at  one  show  that  one  should  offer  them  for  some  other 
show.  But  not  the  same  articles  be  it  understood  ! 

The  tendency  nowadays  is  to  lower  the  standard  of 
special  prizes,  and  really  some  of  the  articles  on  show  are 
often  of  very  cheap  manufacture.  If  a  thing  is  worth  doing, 
it  is  worth  doing  well. 

If  you  consider  an  injustice  has  been  done  to  you  or 
your  cat  at  a  show  you  have  a  perfect  right  to  lay  your 
complaint  before  the  Commktee  of  the  Club  under  whose 
rules  the  show  is  held.  Then  your  case  will  be  looked 
into. 

There  are  two  distinct  ways  of  finding  out  from  a  judge 
why  your  cat  did  not  take  a  prize,  viz.,  a  nice  way  and  a 
nasty  way.  I  am  sure  all  judges  are  pleased  to  give  infor- 
mation to  exhibitors  for  their  satisfaction  ai.d  profit  if  their 
inquiries  are  couched  in  courteous  and  reasonable  terms. 
It  is  not  pleasant  to  be  attacked  suddenly  with  this  ques- 
tion, "Why  have  you  not  given  my  cat  a  prize? " 

In  calculating  the  age  of  a  kitten  when  entering  for  exhi- 
bition the  dates  of  the  month  and  not  the  weeks  should  be 
taken.  Thus  from  the  2Oth  of  July  till  20th  of  October  is 
three  months. 

It  is  very  hard  when  you  have  entered  your  cat  for  a 
Show  to  find  she  is  "  wrong  classed."  If  you  are  a  novice 
in  the  fancy  write  and  ask  some  reliable  person,  giving  a 
full  description  of  your  puss,  and  ask  advice  as  to  the 
correct  class  to  place  her. 

Certainly  it  is  better  to  run  a  chance  of  starving  your  cat 
in  the  show  pen  rather  than  stuffing  her.  You  can  feed  up 
your  pet  on  her  return  home,  and  in  a  day  or  two  she  will  be 
as  plump  as  ever,  but  it  is  a  different  matter  to  remedy  the 


74  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

ill  effects  of  constipation,  diarrhoea,  and  other  troubles  con- 
sequent on  heavy  feeding  in  close  quarters. 

Don't  worry  the  secretary  of  a  show  with  lots  of  ques- 
tions, but  read  the  rules  and  regulations  set  forth  in  the 
schedule  with  care  and  attention.  They  are  always  very 
comprehensive. 

Special  prizes  call  for  special  acknowledgment,  and 
winners  of  the  same  should  write  and  thank  the  donors.  The 
secretary  of  the  club  giving  the  show  should  be  addressed  on 
receipt  of  a  club  badge  or  medal. 

In  sending  your  cats  to  shows  it  is  a  great  help  to  the 
executive  if  you  so  arrange  the  label  that  it  may  be  easily 
turned  round  and  the  address  appear  uppermost  for  the 
return  journey.  When  you  use  a  box,  try  and  attach  the 
label  securely  to  a  strap  or  fastening.  Do  not  nail  it  down 
to  the  lid. 

If  you  intend  to  fetch  away  your  exhibits  yourself  on  the 
morning  after  the  show,  be  careful  to  write  "  To  be  called 
for,"  on  reverse  side  of  label. 

Pink  collar  ribbons  are  the  most  becoming  to  Blue  kittens 
until  their  eyes  have  changed,  then  orange  or  yellow  will  be 
found  more  suitable. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  tie  very  broad  ribbons  round  your  cats' 
necks  when  sending  them  to  a  show.  I  should  choose  a 
colour  to  match  the  eyes,  about  half  an  inch  to  three  quarters 
in  width.  Tie  it  in  a  neat  bow,  and  give  a  stitch  in  the 
centre,  to  prevent  it  coming  untied.  Don't  leave  two  long 
ends.  Orange  is  the  most  becoming  colour  for  Blue  cats. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  give  your  cat  a  gentle  aperient  on  its 
return  from  a  show.  If  a  grown  cat  then  half  a  Carter's 
little  liver  pill  may  be  given  with  safety,  and  a  smaller 
quantity  for  a  kitten.  It  is,  however,  the  elderly  cats  that 
have  the  greatest  objection  to  the  scant  accommodntion 
provided  by  the  scratchings  of  earth  at  the  back  of  the  pen 


BREEDING   AND   EXHIBITING  75 

They  will  persistently  await  their  return  to  the  old  familiar  pan 
of  earth  or  sawdust  that  they  have  been  accustomed  to.  A 
clever  cat  fancier  has  told  me  that  she  gives  her  cats  return- 
ing from  a  show  a  few  drops  of  whisky  in  a  spoonful  of  hot 
water.  She  says  it  "  sort  of  cheers  them  up  ! " 

Nothing  is  so  vexatious  as  when  your  puss  starts  scratching 
out  her  lovely  ruff  just  a  week  or  so  before  the  show  for 
which  you  have  entered  her.  Have  a  look  to  her  ears,  for 
the  irritation  may  be  there,  and  a  little  Condy  and  water 
and  boracic  powder  will  soon  set  matters  right. 

I  do  not  think  that  cat  fanciers  pay  sufficient  attention  to 
the  condition  of  their  cats  when  sending  them  to  shows. 
The  most  successful  exhibitors  are  those  whose  cats  have 
been  shown  in  the  best  condition.  Extra  attention  ought  to 
be  paid  to  the  feeding,  exercising,  and  grooming  of  our  pets. 
I  do  not  advocate  washing  cats,  but  a  bran  bath  or  a  good 
rubbing  with  white  fuller's  earth  will  greatly  improve  the 
fur. 

A  defective  eye,  or  a  damaged  tail,  would  count  against  a 
cat  in  the  show  pen,  and  therefore  I  should  advise  exhibitors 
to  keep  these  blemished  pussies  at  home. 

It  is  very  necessary  for  show  secretaries  to  state  the  entries 
close  on  a  certain  date,  but  still  this  date  is  often  of  an 
elastic  nature,  and  it  is  always  worth  while  for  an  intending 
exhibitor  to  write  requesting  that,  if  possible,  their  entry  may 
be  received,  although  it  is  forwarded  after  the  advertised 
date. 

The  prize  cards  are  placed  in  the  hampers  when  sent  back 
to  exhibitors.  If  these  are  soiled  or  broken  on  their  arrival 
write  to  the  secretary  asking  for  fresh  ones  to  be  kindly 
forwarded. 

The  metal  tallies  sent  for  the  cats  at  show  time  will  hang 
much  more  gracefully  round  the  neck  if  a  slip  ring,  such  as 
is  used  for  fastening  on  buttons,  is  run  through  the  hole  of 
the  tally  and  then  the  ribbon  is  put  through  the  ring.  Let 


76  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

me  advise  narrow  ribbon,  or  if  a  broad  bow  is  thought  more 
stylish  fold  the  ribbon  half  the  width  round  the  neck  and 
then  tie.  In  this  way  pussie's  ruff  will  not  be  interfered 
with. 

Many  exhibitors  are  not  aware  that  by  paying  an  extra 
shilling  they  can  obtain  a  double  pen  for  their  cats  at  shows. 
Of  course  if  space  in  the  hall  or  tent  is  limited  this  provision 
cannot  be  always  arranged  for. 

It  is  very  necessary  to  make  positively  sure  of  the  sex  of 
your  kittens  before  sending  to  a  show,  also  previous  to  dis- 
posing of  them.  A  purchaser,  who  is  a  novice,  desiring  a 
male,  and  discovering  only  on  the  arrival  of  a  family  of 
"  gutter  "  kits,  that  a  mistake  has  been  made,  is  naturally 
rather  annoyed. 

No  doubt  a  one  day's  show  is  best  for  cats  and  kittens ; 
but  if  you  send  your  pets  to  a  two  days'  show,  I  do  not  think 
it  is  advisable  to  remove  them  at  night.  You  run  a  risk  of 
exposing  them  to  cold,  and  the  carrying  to  and  fro  is  really 
more  trying  for  pussy  than  being  in  her  pen;  and  if  you 
know  that  she  will  be  covered  up  at  night,  then  probably 
your  pet  will  sleep  comfortably  and  forget  her  troubles. 

In  former  days  there  used  to  be  classes  at  our  shows  in 
which  cats  were  judged  according  to  their  weight,  and  no 
matter  what  points  the  cat  possessed  or  did  not  possess,  the 
heaviest  took  the  prize.  The  most  weighty  cat  I  ever 
handled  turned  the  scale  at  20  Ibs.  I  do  not  think,  how- 
ever, that  our  pets  should  be  fattened  up  like  prize  pigs  for 
shows,  and,  therefore,  these  weight  classes  have  been  wisely 
done  away  with. 


IV 
DISEASES   AND   REMEDIES 


THERE  is  a  tradition  that  cats  have  nine  lives,  but  many  a 
breeder  of  Persians  will  agree  with  me  that  the  diseases  to 
which  these  highly  bred  cats  may  quickly  succumb  are  more 
than  nine  in  number !  I  do  not  intend  to  enter  fully  into 
these  ailments  in  this  chapter,  as  I  have  given  a  number  of 
hints  in  the  paragraphs,  and  have  also  appended  a  list  of 
simple  remedies  for  the  usual  diseases  that  pussy's  flesh  is 
heir  to.  I  think  the  mistake  in  many  of  our  cat  manuals  is 
the  too  technical  nature  of  the  prescriptions.  Then  again, 
many  of  the  ingredients  mentioned  cannot  be  procured  by 
an  ordinary  mortal  without  a  doctor's  order.  I  have  tried, 
therefore,  to  suggest  only  the  very  simplest  remedies,  many 
of  which  are  generally  available  in  every  household,  and 
ought  certainly  to  be  within  reach  of  every  cat  fancier.  The 
preparations  of  Mr.  Ward  and  Salvo  that  I  have  recom- 
mended I  have  had  practical  proof  of  as  to  their  excellence  in 
cases  coming  under  my  own  notice.  Mr.  Ward  may  rightly 
be  considered  the  wizard  of  the  north,  for  he  was  the  pioneer 
of  "  practical  pussyology "  apart  from  the  regular  qualified 
veterinary  who  may  look  with  a  kind  and  pitying  eye  on 
cats'  ailments  and  infirmities,  but  yet  who  is  just  a  little 
superior  to  the  treatment  of  these  too  often  despised  animals. 
Salvo  came  as  a  boon  and  a  blessing  into  our  southern  dis- 
tricts, and  I  am  sure  there  are  many  cat  fanciers  who  can 
testify  to  the  kind  and  clever  way  in  which  he  has  attended  to 
and  prescribed  for  their  sick  pussies.  To  him  I  am  indebted 
for  some  valuable  hints  and  useful  prescriptions.  Mr.  Freeman 


78  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

of  Birmingham  and  Mr.  James  of  Cheltenham  are  well 
known  in  the  catty  world,  and  supply  remedies  for  every 
ailment.  Sometimes  I  have  found  that  the  preparation  of 
one  veterinary  will  have  no  effect  on  a  cat,  whereas  another 
of  a  different  firm  will  have  the  desired  result.  We  should 
always  bear  in  mind  that  our  cats  are  variously  constituted, 
and  we  must  use  patience  and  perseverance.  There  are 
some  serious  and  dangerous  diseases  amongst  cats  for  which 
no  simple  remedy  can  be  given  with  any  satisfactory  result. 
I  would  mention  Gastritis,  Enteritis,  Bronchitis,  Inflamma- 
tion and  Congestion  of  the  Lungs,  Distemper  and  Influenza. 
Now  there  is  no  doubt  that  in  these  complaints  the  only  hope 
is  for  the  case  to  be  taken  in  time  by  a  thoroughly  reliable 
person.  The  difficulty  that  the  ordinary  fancier  has  to  con- 
tend with  is  to  discover  what  really  is  the  matter  with  their 
cat,  and  if  an  attempt  is  made  to  doctor  and  dose  a  case 
without  sufficient  knowledge,  serious  results  may  follow. 
Too  often  fanciers  set  down  every  evil  under  the  sun  to 
worms.  It  seems  to  me,  therefore,  that  what  is  really 
required  is  a  clear  and  lucid  description  of  the  symptoms  of 
these  dangerous  diseases,  so  that  people  can  form  some  idea  in 
the  early  stages  of  the  nature  of  their  cats'  illness.  If  they  are 
able  to  arrive  at  some  conclusion,  the  best  course  to  pursue  is 
to  wire  to  either  Mr.  Ward,  Salvo,  Freeman,  James,  or  other 
competent  person,  and  ask  for  medicine  to  be  forwarded  at 
once  for  such  or  such  complaint.  Let  us,  therefore,  give 
the  usual  symptoms  of  a  few  of  what  may  be  called  dangerous 
complaints.  Gastritis,  or  inflammation  of  the  stomach,  has 
unhappily  raged  amongst  our  cats,  and  many  a  time  fanciers 
have  rapidly  come  to  the  conclusion  that  their  pets  had 
been  wilfully  poisoned.  Truly,  the  symptoms  are  almost 
identical.  The  animal  is  sick;  there  is  high  fever,  great 
thirst,  a  desire  for  drink,  and  yet  sometimes  a  disinclination 
to  take  it ;  for  the  poor  creature  will  sit  with  its  head  over 
a  bowl  of  water  for  hours.  He  will  stretch  himself  on  his 
stomach,  preferring  a  cold  flat  surface  to  any  soft  comfort- 
able bed  we  may  prepare;  and  a  total  loss  of  appetite 
is  accompanied  very  often  with  violent  diarrhoea.  It  is 
worse  than  useless  to  attempt  to  feed,  especially  with 
anything  solid.  Enteritis,  or  inflammation  of  the  bowels, 
is  akin  to  gabtrilis,  and  the  symptoms  are  much  the  same. 


Lady  Alexander's  Short-haired  Blue  Champion 
"  Ballochmyle  Brother  Bump  " 


DISEASES   AND   REMEDIES  79 

In  both  cases  the  stomach  becomes  distended  and  is 
painful  to  the  touch.  In  bronchitis  there  is  more  or 
less  fever,  the  nose  and  ears  being  hot,  sometimes  fits 
of  shivering,  the  breathing  is  quick,  and  frequently  the 
animal  has  a  bad  cough.  There  is  often  a  frothy  mucous 
discharge.  When  the  inflammation  of  the  bronchial  tubes 
extends  downwards  to  the  lungs  the  danger  becomes  greater, 
the  breathing  still  more  laboured,  and  inflammation  super- 
venes. In  some  cases  of  congestion  and  inflammation  it  is 
extremely  difficult  to  discover  what  is  the  matter  with  your 
cat,  for  he  is  only  very  quiet  and  languid,  and  all  the  spirit 
seems  taken  out  of  him  ;  his  eyes  are  dull  and  mournful 
looking,  and  his  coat  rough  and  staring,  Influenza  has  of 
late  years  made  great  ravages  amongst  our  cats.  This  is  a 
sort  of  catarrhal  fever  which  produces  great  debility,  vomit- 
ing, and  sneezing,  and  a  profuse  discharge  from  the  nose 
and  eyes. 

At  first  this  is  watery,  but  later  the  discharge  becomes 
thick  and  yellow  and  the  passages  seem  to  be  entirely 
stopped  up,  the  animal  breathing  with  great  difficulty.  The 
symptoms  are  much  the  same  as  in  distemper  and  the  two 
complaints  are  often  mistaken  the  one  for  the  other.  In 
both  the  high  fever  is  what  is  so  difficult  to  battle  against, 
and  both  diseases  are  contagious  or  infectious  either  by  the 
medium  of  positive  contact  or  through  the  air  itself.  In 
distemper  there  is  a  peculiar  and  distressing  odour  which  is 
unmistakable.  In  my  paragraphs  I  frequently  allude  to  the 
symptoms  which  should  lead  one  to  suspect  worms  in  our 
cats.  I  may  say  that  an  offensive  breath  is  nearly  always 
an  accompaniment  of  worms. 

It  is  most  necessary,  after  a  cat  or  kitten  has  been  suffering 
from  a  trying  illness,  such  as  influenza  or  distemper,  to 
build  up  the  constitution  again.  I  have  used  Animal 
Kreochyle  (liquid  meat)  with  very  good  results.  It  can  be 
given  without  any  fear  to  the  most  delicate  animal,  as  it  is 
the  juice  of  the  meat  extracted  without  the  process  of 
boiling,  so  that  it  is  speedily  digested.  This  liquid  meat 
should  be  given  first  thing  in  the  morning,  followed  by  a 
teaspoonful  at  midday  and  again  in  the  evening.  For  very 
young  kittens  add  a  little  warm  water.  I  find  my  pussies 
delight  in  this  preparation,  and  I  am  sure  that  cat  fanciers 


8o  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

in  search  of  a  pick-me-up  for  their  pets  cannot  do  better 
than  give  "  Kreochyle  "  a  trial. 

In  conclusion,  I  can  with  all  confidence  recommend  not 
only  those  medicines  which  I  mention  but  many  other  pre- 
parations carefully  prepared  by  the  advertisers  in  my  book. 
The  feline  world  is  fortunate  in  having  two  such  able  and 
really  cat-loving  men  as  Mr.  Ward  and  Salvo  to  turn  to  in 
their  days  of  doubt,  difficulty,  and  distress.  Let  me,  how- 
ever, impress  upon  all  cat  fanciers  that  delays  are  dangerous 
and  that  a  stitch  in  time  may  save  nine — cats  or  kits  ! 

A  LIST  OF  SIMPLE  REMEDIES 

Bronchitis. — A  few  drops  of  eucalyptus  oil  in  a  jug  of 
boiling  water.  Let  the  cat  inhale  over  it  frequently. 

Canker. — Salvo's  Canker  Cure. 

Constipation. — Freeman's  Aperient  Capsules.  Sweet  oil 
for  kittens. 

Debility. — James  No.  i  Magical  Powders.  Animal  Kreo- 
chyle. 

Diarrhoea. — Sprinkle  a  pinch  of  dry  arrowroot  or  prepared 
chalk  on  the  food  once  a  day. 

Dysentry. — Ward's  Capsules. 

Fits. — Place  the  cat  in  a  bath  of  hot  water  up  to  the  neck. 
Apply  cold  rags  or  sponge  to  the  head.  Administer  two 
grains  of  bromide  of  potassium  for  cat ;  one  grain  for  kitten. 

Fleas. — Mothaline  rubbed  into  the  coat  frequently. 

Jaundice. — Half  grain  of  calomel  daily  for  a  cat. 

Mange. — Advisable  to  put  the  animal  painlessly  to  death. 

Paralysis  or  Weak  Limbs. — Lime  water  half  a  teaspoon- 
ful  in  milk  or  broth  given  frequently. 

Ringworm  or  Black  Eczema. — Ward's  Lotion. 

Scurvy  Spots. — Equal  quantities  of  vaseline  and  sulphur 
rubbed  on  for  three  consecutive  days.  Then  use  a  tooth-comb. 

Sickness. — Carbonate  of  bismuth  ;  three  grains  for  a  cat, 
one  grain  for  a  kitten. 

Snuffles.—  Salvo's  Snuffle  Cure. 

Tape  Worm. — Salvo's  No.  3  powder. 

Teething. — Ward's  Teething  Powders. 

Worms  in  Kittens. — Salvo's  No.  i  powder.  Freeman's 
Capsules. 


DISEASES  AND   REMEDIES  81 


Gastritis 

No  cat  fancier  should  ever  be  without  a  small  quantity  of 
bismuth  powder.  It  is  an  excellent  and  very  safe  remedy 
for  many  of  the  ills  that  feline  flesh  is  heir  to.  We  have  had 
it  highly  recommended  in  cases  of  gastro-enteritis.  Directly 
a  puss  refuses  her  food  and  persistently  turns  away  from  her 
most  cherished  dish  of  raw  meat  or  other  delicacy,  then 
administer  a  good  dose  of  bismuth,  as  much  as  would  lie  on 
a  threepenny  piece  the  first  day,  and  reduce  the  dose  each 
day  afterwards.  Don't  force  food  down  for  the  first  twenty- 
four  hours.  Then  start  with  Brand's  essence  or  Animal 
Kreochyle,  a  little  at  a  time,  given  often. 

If  your  cat  is  attacked  with  that  painful  and  very  often 
fatal  complaint,  known  as  gastritis,  or  inflammation  of  the 
stomach,  do  not  attempt  to  give  your  pet  any  solid  food. 
The  symptoms  of  gastritis  are  very  similar  to  those  produced 
by  some  irritant  poison.  The  animal  will  always  crave  for 
cold  water,  which  should  be  constantly  supplied. 


Influenza 

If  your  cat  should  fall  a  victim  to  a  bad  cold  or  an  attack 
of  influenza,  you  will  no  doubt  find  that  its  poor  nose 
becomes  quite  stuffed  up.  Let  me  advise  you  to  keep  con- 
stantly applying  lanoline,  rubbing  it  well  across  and  down 
the  nose.  It  is  wonderful  how  his  treatment  will  give  relief. 
Should  you  not  have  lanoline  at  hand,  use  butter,  provided  it 
has  no  salt  in  it.  The  result  will  be  the  same,  and  the  more 
your  puss  rubs  her  nose  with  her  paw  and  sneezes,  the  better 
it  will  be  for  her. 


Colds 

For  any  ordinary  cold  in  a  cat  give  small  doses  of  aconite. 
Feed  with  beef  tea  and  keep  very  warm.  If  there  is  fever 
and  constipation,  give  half  a  Carter's  liver  pill. 

F 


82  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 


Fleas 

"Prevention  is  better  than  cure,"  and  in  young  kittens, 
cure  is  often  next  to  impossible,  so  that  a  watchful  eye  is  very 
necessary.  Be  careful  not  to  allow  fleas  to  accumulate  in 
the  tiny  mites,  for  these  tiresome  creatures  give  the  young- 
sters no  rest,  and  as  the  greater  part  of  the  early  life  of  a 
kitten  should  be  spent  in  eating  and  sleeping,  it  is  most  im- 
portant to  have  recourse  to  "  Mothaline  "  to  exterminate  these 
pests  from  time  to  time. 

I  was  asked  the  other  day  for  a  remedy  for  parasites  in 
kittens,  and  recommended  Mr.  Ward's  powder.  I  hear  it 
is  acting  like  magic,  and  the  pair  of  insect  bellows  supplied 
with  it  are  a  splendid  invention  which  should  be  in  the 
possession  of  all  cat  fanciers. 

Anaemia 

If  you  notice  that  your  cat's  mouth,  nose,  and  tongue  are 
rather  white,  give  some  iron.  The  easiest  and  most  effec- 
tive way  to  administer  this  drug  is  by  pills.  Purchase  a 
bottle  of  Blaud's  iron  pills,  rniid  form,  and  for  a  cat  I  gene- 
rally give  half  a  pill  once  a  day.  If  this  treatment  is 
regularly  continued  for  a  month  you  will  see  a  great  change 
in  the  colour  of  your  pussie's  mouth,  which  should  be  a  nice 
deep  pink  if  she  is  in  perfect  health.  If  your  cat's  tongue 
is  yellow  give  an  aperient. 


Worms 

The  truth  of  the  following  extract  from  an  American 
paper  cannot  be  too  frequently  impressed  on  the  minds  of 
fanciers  :  **  The  worm  has  but  little  chance  in  the  healthy 
stomach  of  a  cat."  So  build  up  the  constitution  of  your 
puss  that  she  can  resist  the  ravages  of  these  pests. 

Most  cat  fanciers  know  too  well  the  symptoms  which  are 
suggestive  of  worms  in  their  cats,  but  ior  the  benefit  of 


Mrs.  Robinson's  Siamese  "Champion  Wankee  " 


DISEASES   AND   REMEDIES  83 

beginners  I  would  tell  them  to  be  suspicious  when  they 
find  their  pussies  have  ravenous  appetites  and  yet  seem  to 
be  none  the  better  or  fatter  for  their  food.  Again,  the 
appearance  of  the  coat  is  very  tell-tale,  the  fur  is  "  spiky  " 
instead  of  fleecy  and  fluffy,  and  I  have  found  no  surer  sign 
of  worms  than  when  the  corners  of  the  eyes  come  up  in  a 
sort  of  white  skins.  This  betokens  tapeworms,  which  are 
really  even  more  serious  than  wire-worms. 

A  pinch  of  salt  in  pussy's  food  is  an  excellent  thing.  I 
believe  it  is  a  preventive  against  worms,  and  it  is  good  for 
the  blood.  Be  careful,  however,  not  to  give  too  much,  as 
this  would  cause  skin  trouble,  and  when  a  cat  is  in  kitten 
extra  care  should  be  taken,  as  I  have  known  a  too  lavish 
use  of  salt  under  such  circumstances  bring  on  a  miscarriage. 

If  it  is  necessary  to  administer  a  dose  for  worms  to  your 
cat,  do  not  give  an  aperient  at  the  same  time.  Wait  about 
an  hour,  and  then  the  vermifuge  will  have  done  its  work, 
and  the  aperient  will  cause  evacuation  of  the  worms.  It  is 
generally  considered  a  bad  sign  if  these  pests  are  vomited, 
and  denotes  the  presence  of  still  more  to  be  got  rid  of. 

A  very  common  cause  of  worms  in  cats  is  eating  decom- 
posed food.  There  are  three  kinds  of  worms — the  small 
thread  worm,  which  resembles  a  piece  of  crochet  cotton,  the 
long  round  worm,  and  the  tapeworm.  It  is  the  last  named 
that  works  most  serious  havoc. 

There  are  several  remedies  for  worms  to  be  obtained  of 
the  leading  veterinaries  and  cat  specialists,  but  I  am  greatly 
against  the  "  worming  "  of  young  kittens.  It  stunts  their 
growth  and  interferes  with  their  digestive  powers.  If 
delicate  kittens  are  dosed,  it  sometimes  finishes  them  off.  I 
recommend  all  fanciers  so  to  feed  and  nourish  their  young 
kits  that  they  can  have  strength  enough  to  resist  these  pests, 
which  are  more  or  less  present  in  every  animal.  It  is  just  a 
matter  whether  the  worms  or  the  creatures  are  the  stronger. 

It  is  always  a  bad  sign  if  a  cat  or  kitten  in  being  sick 
brings  up  a  worm.  You  may  be  very  certain  that  there  are 


84  CATS   AND   ALL   ABOUT   THEM 

lots  to  follow,  so  it  would  be  best  to  start  a  course  ol 
powders  at  once.  Delays  are  dangerous,  especially  as 
regards  doctoring  such  sensitive  creatures  as  Persian  kittens. 

After  worming  a  cat  or  kitten  it  is  very  important  to  give 
the  digestive  organs  a  rest,  and  for  this  purpose  a  course  of 
powders,  such  as  are  supplied  by  Salvo,  will  be  found  very 
beneficial. 

A  very  sure  sign  of  worms  in  a  kitten  is  a  prominent 
backbone  with  an  inflated  stomach.  You  may  think  your 
puss  is  nice  and  fat,  but  the  size  of  its  body  is  the  result  of 
indigestion  and  flatulency. 

If  you  suspect  your  cat  to  be  afflicted  with  tapeworm,  I 
should  recommend  you  to  hand  her  over  to  some  careful 
and  clever  veterinary.  The  only  hope  of  expelling  these 
pests  is  by  administering  either  areca  nut  or  oil  of  male 
fern,  and  these  powerful  medicines  need  most  judicious 
handling.  It  is  most  important,  and  indeed  essential,  that 
the  head  of  the  tapeworm  should  be  expelled.  The  rest  of 
the  creature  comes  away  in  sections. 

It  is  a  sure  sign  of  indigestion  probably  due  to  the 
presence  of  worms  if  you  find  a  sort  of  scale  coming  partly 
over  the  eyes  of  your  cat.  I  have  known  novices  in  the 
fancy  to  imagine  that  in  this  case  there  is  something  wrong 
with  the  eye  itself,  and  lotions  have  been  supplied.  It  is, 
however,  entirely  caused  by  internal  disarrangement,  and 
your  puss  requires  a  course  of  treatment.  Nothing  gives  a 
cat  a  more  disagreeable  appearance  than  this  ugly  film  over  a 
portion  of  the  eye. 

Some  fanciers  are  under  the  delusion  that  castor  oil  is  a 
universal  cure  for  all  ills,  and  they  dose  their  cats  accord- 
ingly. I  have  known  this  nasty  stuff  given  for  worms. 
Believe  me,  the  worms  thrive  the  more  on  it,  and  the  result 
is  upsetting  poor  pussie  and  causing  her  great  discomfort. 

Freeman's  capsules  for  worms  are  the  very  smallest  I  have 
seen.  They  are  so  easily  given,  and  are  prepared  for  cats 


DISEASES   AND   REMEDIES  85 

and  kittens.  I  have  found  them  excellent,  and  always 
follow  them  up  with  an  aperient  capsule  of  the  same  minute 
size,  supplied  by  the  same  firm. 

Weak   Eyes 

Bad  eyes  in  kittens  are  frequently  caused  by  worms  or 
weakness.  For  which  cases  outward  application  of  lotions 
is  of  small  avail,  and  we  must  give  strengthening  medicines. 
Try  a  course  of  cod-liver  oil,  and  administer  in  capsules. 

To  apply  a  lotion  the  eyelids  should  be  held  open,  and 
the  liquid  dropped  on  to  the  centre  of  the  eyeball,  so  that 
the  eye  is  quite  filled.  It  is  best  to  use  an  eye-dropper,  or 
a  fountain  pen  filler.  Another  method  is  to  saturate  cotton 
wool  and  squeeze  it. 

It  is  best  to  keep  tiny  kittens  in  a  darkened  place  until 
their  eyes  are  well  open.  Strong  sun  and  bright  artificial 
light  tend  to  weaken  the  eyes,  caus;ng  them  to  water. 

A  very  good  remedy  for  sore  eyes  in  kittens  is  an  appli- 
cation of  alum  and  water.  Put  about  a  teaspoonful  of  alum 
into  a  claret  wine-glass  of  tepid  water  and  bathe  frequently. 
Never  allow  the  eyelids  to  become  glued  together,  as  it  is 
then  that  inflammation  sets  in. 

The  complaint  known  as  "  pink  eye  "  is  seldom  curable, 
and  the  disease  generally  destroys  the  sight  in  a  kitten.  It 
is  best  to  destroy  the  poor  little  sufferer,  as  the  torture  must 
be  very  great. 

It  is  not  a  good  sign  if  kittens  are  born  with  their  eyes 
open,  or  if  they  open  within  the  first  six  days  This  gene- 
rally means  trouble  in  after-life. 

No  doubt  many  of  the  eye  lotions  advertised  are  of  great 
benefit  to  suffering  kits,  but  in  some  cases  every  remedy 
seems  to  fail,  and  then,  I  say,  try  a  sun  bath  and  a  dose  of 
fresh  air.  In  other  words,  don't  coddle  up  your  patients, 
but  put  them  out  in  the  garden.  An  empty  box,  with  some 


86  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

wire  netting,  makes  a  capital  hutch.  Place  this  in  a  sheltered 
and  sunny  spot  and  you  will  find  a  marked  improvement  in 
your  kittens'  eyes. 

A  capital  lotion  to  have  in  readiness  for  weak  eyes  in 
kittens  can  be  made  by  putting  one  ounce  of  boracic  acid 
powder  in  a  pint  of  boiling  water.  Put  this  in  a  bottle  when 
cold,  and  when  needed  mix  again  about  one  ounce  to  one 
ounce  of  tepid  water. 

The  following  is  a  simple  and  excellent  prescription  for  an 
eye  lotion  :  Boracic  Acid,  30  grains  ;  Cherry  Laurel  Water, 
6  ounces.  Bathe  the  eyes  twice  daily. 

Very  soft  old  linen  rags  or  cotton-wool  are  best  for  apply- 
ing lotion  to  kittens'  eyes.  Be  careful  not  to  use  the  same 
piece  twice  over.  Always  bathe  the  eyes  first  with  tepid 
water  before  using  any  lotion,  which  should  be  applied  very 
carefully  and  gently. 

An  easy  and  effectual  way  of  dropping  lotion  into  a 
kitten's  eye,  is  to  saturate  a  piece  of  cotton  wool  and  then 
squeeze  it.  It  is  always  difficult  with  a  spoon,  however 
small,  to  avoid  letting  it  pour  instead  of  drop  into  the  eye. 

Don't  forget  that  a  little  sweet  oil  applied  to  the  eyelids  of 
your  kits  prevents  them  from  getting  "  stuck  up."  Leave 
the  rest  to  the  mother,  who  by  the  gentle  use  of  her  tongue 
will  do  her  best  to  keep  them  open. 


Diarrhoea 

If  your  cat  or  kitten  is  suffering  from  diarrhoea,  be  careful 
not  to  give  anything  hot.  Let  all  food  be  just  warm.  There 
are  so  many  causes  for  this  troublesome  complaint,  viz.,  in- 
d  gestion,  chills,  worms.  The  difficulty  is  to  diagnose  the 
rtal  seat  of  the  trouble  and  treat  accordingly.  Nothing  so 
quickly  weakens  a  kitten  as  persistent  diarrhoea. 

A  simple  prescription  for  diarrhoea  is  the  white  of  a  raw 


n 


DISEASES   AND   REMEDIES  87 

egg.    A  teaspoonful  given  two  or  three  times  a  day  will  often 
have  the  desired  effect  when  all  other  remedies  have  failed. 

I  have  been  told  that  for  diarrhoea  there  is  nothing  to 
equal  Bragg's  Charcoal,  given  night  and  morning.  About  a 
quarter  of  a  teaspoonful  is  sufficient,  mixed  in  a  little  water. 

Dry  arrowroot  will  often  check  diarrhoea  if  given  in  the 
early  stages.  Never  allow  a  cat  or  kitten  to  continue  long 
with  this  weakening  ailment. 


Skin  Complaints 

Doubtless  many  of  my  readers  have  discovered  from  time 
to  time  little  dry  scurvy  spots  upon  their  cats.  These  come 
from  heated  blood  and  are  easily  cured.  Ask  your  chemist 
to  make  up  an  ointment  of  equal  proportions  of  sulphur  and 
vaseline,  apply  this  for  two  or  three  consecutive  days,  then 
use  a  small  tooth  comb  and  the  roughness  will  come  away. 

A  very  troublesome  and  infectious  complaint  is  black 
eczema  or  ringworm.  This  appears  in  round  dark  patches 
on  the  skin,  causing  the  fur  to  come  off.  There  is  a  sort  of 
coating  of  black  scurf,  and  this  gradually  spreads.  If  taken 
in  time  the  disease  is  easily  cured.  Mr.  A.  Ward  has  a 
strong  solution  which  should  be  applied  about  three  or  four 
days  running.  Then  use  a  small  tooth  comb,  and  the 
black  scaly  surface  comes  away.  The  hair  quickly  grows 
again,  and  the  cat's  health  seems  in  no  way  to  suffer. 

Jaundice  is  not  a  common  complaint  amongst  cats,  but 
you  may  be  sure  if  the  eyes  become  glassy  looking  and  the 
whites  turn  a  yellow  colour  that  there  is  serious  mischief  in 
the  region  of  the  liver,  and  your  cat  needs  a  strong 
aperient. 

I  have  been  told  by  an  experienced  fancier  and  breeder 
that  it  is  a  sure  sign  that  a  cat  has  internal  eczema  if  she 
eats  or  gnaws  at  her  kittens.  A  cat  might  look  healthy  and 
fat  and  well,  and  have  fine  kittens,  but  they  will  dwindle 


88  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

and  die  away,  without  any  apparent  cause  if  there  is  this 
internal  trouble.  Sometimes  you  may  notice  that  a  cat  or 
kitten  takes  to  perpetually  washing  itself.  This  is  also  a 
sign  of  internal  eczema.  Salvo  has  a  cure  for  this  rather 
mysterious  complaint. 

In  case  of  any  skin  eruption  it  is  always  safe  to  administer 
sulphur.  This  is  easily  given  in  the  cat's  food,  about  as 
much  powder  as  will  go  on  a  threepenny  piece  once  a  day. 

The  following  is  a  very  good  remedy  for  eczema ;  Mix 
about  two  tablespoonsful  of  colza  oil  with  one  of  paraffin 
and  sufficient  flour  of  sulphur  to  thicken  the  liquid.  Each 
time  you  require  to  use  the  application,  mix  it  well  up. 
Divide  the  fur  and  rub  on  with  fingers. 

If  a  cat  is  suffering  from  any  skin  trouble,  it  is  best  to  try 
and  keep  the  affected  parts  covered  with  a  bandage,  to  pre- 
vent the  puss  from  licking  them,  as  the  roughness  of  the 
tongue  prevents  the  healing  up  process. 

Do  not  be  alarmed  if  you  find  a  sort  of  brown,  damp 
scurf  on  your  cat's  tail.  It  is  only  natural  grease  con- 
sequent on  the  change  of  coat.  Dust  it  with  a  little  white 
fuller's  earth. 

Snuffles 

There  are  many  and  various  remedies  suggested  and 
recommended  for  that  troublesome  complaint  commonly 
called  '•  snuffles."  I  have  known  a  complete  cure  effected 
by  absolute  change  of  air.  I  heard  of  one  puss  who  was 
considered  a  chronic  sufferer,  but  after  a  sojourn  at  the  sea- 
side she  had  not  a  sniffle  left. 

There  is  nothing  so  difficult  to  cure  in-  cats  as  "  snuffles," 
by  which  I  mean  a  sort  of  chronic  nasal  catarrh.  This  is 
sometimes  the  result  of  a  bad  cold,  and  it  is  often  a  remnant 
of  distemper.  There  are  many  powders  and  medicines 
advertised  by  vetermaries,  which  may  with  patience  prove 
effectual.  I  believe,  however,  there  is  nothing  so  beneficial 


DISEASES   AND   REMEDIES  89 

as  complete  change  of  air  for  pussy.  I  have  known  this 
act  like  magic  on  what  appeared  a  permanent  case  of 
"snuffles." 

I  heard  of  a  bad  case  of  snuffles  in  a  cat  being  cured  in 
the  following  manner :  A  little  Sanitas  oil  dropped  on  the 
nose,  just  so  that  a  drop  or  two  enters  the  nostrils.  Wet 
the  front  feet  with  the  oil,  so  that  the  cat  will  rub  it  over 
her  face  when  washing.  Continue  this  for  a  few  days,  and 
if  the  discharge  and  sneezing  still  continue,  inject  a  little 
Sanitas  fluid,  one  part  fluid  to  four  of  water,  in  the  nostrils, 
and  use  the  oil  as  well. 


Constipation 

It  is  very  necessary  in  cases  of  constipation  (generally 
caused  by  want  of  proper  green  food)  to  administer  an 
aperient,  and  I  must  say  I  dislike  giving  castor  oil  to  cats 
or  kittens.  Medicine  done  up  in  the  form  of  pills  or  capsules 
is  so  much  easier  to  give,  and  no  risk  is  run  of  spoiling 
pussy's  appearance. 

For  young  kittens  suffering  from  constipation,  I  much 
prefer  sweet  oil  to  castor  oil.  Some  kits  will  lick  it  of  their 
own  accord.  I  am  sure  that  many  kittens  succumb  to  this 
trying  complaint  before  even  the  owners  are  aware  of  the 
trouble. 

It  is  not  a  good  sign  for  a  cat  to  be  constantly  sleeping 
during  the  day-time,  especially  if  we  have  every  reason  to 
believe  that  puss  has  enjoyed  a  good  night's  rest.  In  such 
cases,  give  half  a  Carter's  Little  Liver  Pill,  and  you  will  find 
that  your  pet  will  be  brighter  and  better. 

Beware  of  giving  too  much  Brand's  Essence  to  young 
kittens.  It  is  very  constipating,  and  I  have  heard  a  very 
clever  veterinary  remark  that  many  fanciers  finish  off  their 
invalids  by  too  frequently  administering  spoonsful  of  this 
essence.  On  the  other  hand,  if  used  with  discretion,  it  is 
most  efficacious.  The  directions  on  the  tin  are  for  human 
beings,  so  give  less  for  cats. 


90  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 


Fits 

Fits  are  rather  common  amongst  highly-bred  cats,  espe- 
cially at  the  time  of  teething.  I  have  found  the  following 
course  a  most  effectual  one : — Plunge  the  cat  in  a  bath  of 
hot  water  right  up  to  the  neck.  Place  a  rag  soaked  in  cold 
water  on  the  head,  and  bathe  the  face.  By  these  means 
the  cat  will  quickly  recover.  Bromide  powders  may  be 
given  to  avoid  a  frequent  recurrence  of  fits,  and  they  help  to 
soothe  and  quiet  the  nerves. 

Some  cats  are  subject  to  fits.  These  may  be  caused  by 
worms  or  undue  excitement.  It  may  be  well  to  give  small 
doses  of  bromide  of  potassium  from  time  to  time  to  soothe 
the  nerves. 

Chest,  Throat,  and  Lungs 

I  do  not  like  to  see  a  cat,  who,  so  to  speak,  mews  with- 
out making  any  audible  sound.  This  betokens  weakness  of 
the  chest  or  lungs.  For  these  cats  I  should  not  advise 
"  lights  "  as  food,  for  the  lungs  of  cattle  are  often  affected, 
and  thus  your  pussie's  tendency  to  weakness  in  that  quarter 
would  be  aggravated. 

An  easy  and  effectual  remedy  for  sore  throats  in  cats  is 
chlorate  of  potash.  Take  a  pinch  of  the  powder,  open  the 
mouth  wide,  and  drop  down  the  throat. 


Ears 

All  cats  have  the  strongest  objection  to  having  anything 
cold  put  into  their  ears.  Therefore,  if  you  use  any  lotion, 
let  it  stand  in  hot  water,  so  that  the  chill  may  be  tzken  off. 
If  Condy  and  water  is  used,  let  it  be  tepid.  Use  a  sponge, 
not  a  syringe,  as  the  ear  is  a  very  sensitive  organ. 

If  you  see  your  cat  constantly  scratching  her  ear  you  may 
be  pretty  sure  there  is  some  hidden  irritation.  Make  a 


DQ 


DISEASES   AND   REMEDIES  91 

funnel  of  a  piece  of  paper,  place  some  boracic  acid  powder 
in  it,  and  blow  down  the  ear.  Do  this  a  few  times,  and 
then  wash  out  with  weak  Condy  and  water. 

A  very  troublesome  complaint  in  cats  is  canker  of  the 
ear,  and  one  which  is  often  not  discovered  until  the  mis- 
chief has  fairly  begun.  If  you  notice  your  pussie  shaking 
her  head  continually,  generally  to  one  side,  you  should 
carefully  examine  her  ears,  and  proceed  to  clean  them  out 
with  weak  Condy  and  warm  water.  Be  careful  to  dry  them 
thoroughly.  Canker  may  be  considered  as  a  symptom  of 
general  ill-health. 

Debility 

A  simple  and  a  good  tonic  for  a  cat  who  is  suffering  from 
debility  is  the  following  : — Tincture  of  cinchona  bark,  one 
ounce;  water  one  pint.  Give  a  dessertspoonful  of  this 
mixture  thrice  daily. 

There  is  an  excellent  tonic  for  cats  prepared  by  Mr. 
Croft,  of  Reading.  It  is  a  sort  of  malt  food  in  a  powder, 
which  is  prepared  in  the  same  way  as  Benger's  Food.  I  am 
told  it  is  especially  good  for  nursing  mothers  and  delicate 
cats  that  need  something  nourishing  to  get  them  into  con- 
dition after  an  illness.  It  is  too  heavy  and  heating  for 
young  kittens. 

For  cats  and  kittens  that  have,  so  to  speak,  run  down, 
try  Benbow's  mixture  for  dogs.  I  am  told  it  acts  like 
magic.  A  small  teaspoonful  may  safely  be  given  to  a  cat 
daily  for  about  a  week,  and  not  quite  half  the  quatitity  for  a 
kitten.  This  mixture  can  be  purchased  at  any  chemist's. 

If  your  cat  is  just  a  little  out  of  sorts,  try  the  effect  of 
James'  No.  i  Powder,  called,  rightly,  the  "magical."  A 
well-known  fancier,  whose  cats  are  always  the  pink  of  per- 
fection, declares  they  have  really  worked  wonders  in  her 
cattery. 

In  cases    of   debility,   after  attacks  of  distemper  and 


92  CATS   AND   ALL   ABOUT  THEM 

influenza  I  have  found  Animal  Kreochyle  a  splendid  pick- 
me-up  for  cats  and  kittens.  It  acts  as  a  stimulant  and 
reviver,  and  as  it  is  easily  assimilated,  the  digestive  powers 
are  in  no  way  taxed.  Two  teaspoonfuls  in  a  saucer  of  water 
for  a  cat  and  half  the  quantity  for  a  kitten.  I  find  my  cats 
lap  it  up  with  a  relish,  with  or  without  dilution.  All  cat 
fanciers  should  send  for  a  sample. 


Distemper 

When  distemper  attacks  our  poor  pussies,  there  is  really 
nothing  to  be  done  but  to  try  and  k^ep  up  their  strength,  as 
this  disease  very  rapidly  produces  intense  debility.  From 
the  commencement  give  frequent  small  doses  of  strong  beef 
tea,  into  which  one  grain  of  quinine  has  been  introduced, 
twice  a  day,  also  a  small  quantity  of  port  wine  (from  half  to 
one  teaspoonful)  according  to  the  size  of  the  cat.  No  solid 
food  should  be  allowed  until  convalescence  has  set  in.  The 
animal  should  be  kept  moderately  warm.  Brandy  may  be 
given  as  a  last  resource  to  arouse  sinking  vitality. 

If  your  kits  are  attacked  with  distemper  and  the  weather 
is  warm  and  fine  put  them  out  on  the  lawn  in  the  sunshine. 
Fresh  air  and  sunshine  work  wonders  for  diseased  animals. 
I  have  found  the  same  experiment  very  efficacious  when 
kittens  are  suffering  from  sore  eyes.  The  air  seems  to  have 
a  healing  effect.  Of  course  a  cold  wind  is  a  different  matter 
and  must  be  avoided. 

Miscellaneous 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  the  normal  tempera- 
ture of  cats  is  higher  than  that  of  human  beings.  Our  tem- 
perature in  good  health  is  98.4 ;  that  of  a  cat  is  101.4.  It 
is  a  useful  thing  to  be  able  to  test  the  exact  temperature  of 
your  puss  if  you  fancy  she  is  feverish  or  run  down.  The 
best  position  to  place  the  thermometer  is  under  one  of  the 
front  paws,  as  the  fur  is  less  thick  just  there.  If  the  ther- 
mometer registers  three  or  four  degrees  above  normal,  then 
have  recourse  to  a  liquid  diet,  if  below,  feed  up  with  a 
stimulating  diet. 


DISEASES   AND   REMEDIES  93 

I  consider  Salvo's  Preventive  Medicine  a  boon  and  a 
blessing  to  cat  fanciers,  and  no  one  who  values  their  pets 
should  be  without  a  bottle  of  this  magic  mixture.  I  know  I 
recently  warded  off  a  serious  attack  by  an  immediate  dosing, 
and  before  and  after  all  shows  I  intend  to  resort  to  this 
effective  concoction — whatever  it  is,  it  is  absolutely  safe. 

When  medicine  is  ordered  three  times  a  day  for  your  cat, 
eleven,  three,  and  seven  are  good  times  and  easy  to  remem- 
ber. It  is  not  fair  to  doctor  or  patient  to  give  the  doses 
irregularly  and  inaccurately  measured.  It  is  always  advisable 
to  give  any  kind  of  aperient  or  worm  mixture  on  an  empty 
stomach. 

There  is  very  often  one  weakly  kitten  in  a  litter.  Some- 
times there  may  hardly  seem  any  life  in  the  little  creature 
when  born.  In  such  a  case  hold  the  mite  in  front  of  the  fire 
for  a  time,  or,  better  still,  place  it  in  a  moderately  heated 
oven.  It  is  wonderful  how  quickly  animation  and  vitality  is 
produced  by  these  means. 

A  very  sure  sign  of  a  cat  being  out  of  sorts  is  when  ears 
and  nose  are  hot.  Give  an  extra  amount  of  green  food  or 
grass,  and  perhaps  a  gentle  aperient  of  some  sort  would  not 
be  amiss.  I  like  to  feel  a  damp  cold  nose  on  a  cat  as  well 
as  on  a  dog. 

A  cat  or  kitten  that  is  feverish  is  nearly  always  thirsty,  and 
will  hang  over  a  saucer  of  water,  preferring  that  to  milk.  A 
very  small  quantity  of  salicylate  of  quinine  dissolved  is  an 
excellent  remedy  for  fever.  Quantity :  about  one  grain  to  a 
tablespoonful  of  water. 

When  Persian  cats  are  shedding  their  coats  they  are 
troubled  with  the  quantity  of  hair  which  is  swallowed  during 
the  process  of  the  toilet.  Yuu  may  find  your  puss  constantly 
choking  or  coughin:/  in  the  effort  to  bring  up  the  fur  which 
has  accumulated  in  the  passages.  Give  her  plenty  of  coarse 
grass  or  fern,  and  this  will  assist  her  in  getting  rid  of  the  balls 
of  fur. 


94  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

Remember  it  is  not  the  quantity  of  food  a  kitten  takes 
that  benefits  it.  The  secret  of  its  health  and  well-being 
is  in  the  quantity  it  digests.  A  kitten  should  only  digest 
certain  things  in  certain  proportions,  and  whatever  remains 
undigested  produces  irritation,  and  in  this  case  a  kitten 
cannot  possibly  develop,  and  is  generally  weakly  and  fretful. 

If  you  suspect  your  cat  has  any  internal  inflammation 
never  give  milk,  but  Brand's  essence  in  cold  water  and 
arrowroot  and  water,  or  rice  water  with  two  drops  of  brandy 
every  hour  alternately. 


CAT  CLUBS  AND   CAT   HOMES 


I  AM  almost  afraid  to  think,  much  less  to  say,  how  many 
years  ago  it  was  that  I  attended  the  first  Cat  Show  held  at 
the  Crystal  Palace,  which  was  organised  by  Mr.  Harrison 
Weir.  I  well  remember,  however,  when  the  National  Cat 
Club  was  founded  in  1887  ;  and  since  that  date  the,  number 
of  fanciers  has  steadily  increased,  and  many  new  clubs  and 
societies  have  been  formed.  Instead  of  one  show  a  year, 
there  are  many,  and  Mr.  Harrison  Weir's  prophecy  is  ful- 
filled. I  quote  from  the  preface  of  his  book  on  cats 
written  in  1889  :  "But  should  a  new  order  of  things  arise 
the  cat  will  not  only  be  a  useful,  serviceable  helpmate, 
but  an  object  of  increasing  interest,  admiration,  and 
cultured  beauty,  and  thus  being  of  value,  will  also  be 
profitable." 

The  National  Cat  Club,  now  under  the  able  management 
of  Mrs.  Stennard-Robinson,  holds  its  two  principal  shows  at 
the  Crystal  Palace  and  the  Botanical  Gardens,  and  every 
year  the  entries  increase  and  the  improvement  in  the  various 
breeds  of  cats  is  most  noticeable. 

The  Cat  Club  came  into  existence  in  1898,  being  insti- 
tuted by  Lady  Marcus  Beresford,  who  has  done  such  go<  d 
work  in  the  cat  world.  The  excellently  managed  shows 
held  yearly  at  St.  Stephen's  Hall,  Westminster,  testify  to  the 
unwearied  exertions  and  lavish  generosity  of  the  founder  of 
the  club.  These  shows  have  been  held  in  aid  of  various 
deserving  charities. 

Other  cat  shows  in  all  parts  of  England  are  held  during 


96  CATS  AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

the  year,  under  the  rules  of  either  of  these  parent  clubs,  or 
independently. 

In  addition  to  the  two  principal  clubs,  which  are  well 
known  to  all  cat  fanciers,  it  may  be  interesting  and  useful 
to  give  a  complete  list  of  the  Cat  Clubs  and  Specialists 
Societies  up  to  date,  with  names  and  addresses  of  their 
respective  hon.  secretaries. 


LIST  OF  CAT  CLUBS  AND  SOCIETIES 

The  National  Cat  Club,  founded  1887.  Hon.  sec., 
Mrs.  A.  Stennard-Robinson,  5  Great  James  Street,  Bedford 
Row,  London,  W.C.  Annual  subscription,  i  guinea. 

The  Cat  Club,  founded  1898.  Hon.  sec.,  Mrs.  Bagster, 
1 5A  Paternoster  Row,  London,  E.G.  Entrance  fee,  205. ; 
annual  subscription,  los.  6d. 

The  Northern  Counties  Cat  Club,  founded  1900.  Hon. 
sec.,  Mrs.  Herbert  Ransome,  Altrmcham.  Annual  sub- 
scription, I  OS. 

The  Silver  and  Smoke  Persian  Cat  Society,  founded  1900. 
Hon.  sec.,  Mrs.  H.  V.  James,  Backwell,  near  Bristol. 
Annual  subscription,  53. 

The  Blue  Persian  Cat  Society,  founded  1901.  Hon.  sec., 
Miss  Frances  Simpson,  Durdans  House,  St.  Margaret's-on- 
Thames.  Annual  subscription,  55. 

The  Siamese  Club,  founded  1900.  Hon.  sec.,  Mrs. 
Baker,  13  Wyndham  Place,  Bryanston  Square,  W. 
Annual  subscription,  43. 

The  Orange,  Cream,  Fawn  and  Tortoiseshell  Society, 
founded  1900.  Hon.  sec.,  Miss  Mildred  Beal,  Ronaldkirk 
Rectory,  Darlington.  Annual  subscription,  los. 

The  Chinchilla  Cat  Club,  founded  May  1901.  Hon.  sec., 
Mrs.  Balding,  92  Goldsmith  Avenue,  Acton.  Annual  sub- 
scription, 53. 

The  Short-haired  Cat  Club,  founded  1901.  Hon.  sec., 
Mrs.  Middleton,  67  Cheyne  Court,  Chelsea.  Annual  sub- 
scription, 55. ;  2S.  6d.  to  working  classes. 

The  Scottish  Cat  Club,  founded  1894.  Hon.  sec.,  J.  F. 
Dewar,  2  St.  Patrick  Square,  Edinburgh.  Annual  sub- 
scription, 53. 


CAT  CLUBS  AND  CAT  HOMES  97 

The  Midland  Counties  Cat  Club,  founded  at  Wolver- 
hampton  1901.  Hon.  sec.,  Miss  Cope,  136  Bristol  Road, 
Birmingham.  Annual  subscription,  53. 

The  British  Cat  Club,  founded  1901.  Hon.  sec.,  Sir 
Claude  Alexander,  Faygate  Wood,  Sussex.  Subscription,  55. 

The  Manx  Cat  Clnb,  founded  1901.  Miss  Hester  Coch- 
ran,  Witchampton,  Wimborne.  Subscription,  los. 


CLUBS   IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 

The  Beresford  Cat  Club  (Chicago),  founded  1899.  Presi- 
dent, Mrs.  Clinton  Locke ;  corresponding  secretary,  Mrs.  A. 
Michelson,  220  East  Sixtieth  Street,  Chicago.  Annual  sub- 
scription, i  dollar. 

The  Chicago  Cat  Club,  founded  1899.  President,  Mrs. 
Leland  Norton,  Drexel  Kennels,  Drexel  Boulevard,  Chicago. 

The  Louisville  Cat  Club,  founded  1900.  Corresponding 
secretary,  Miss  E.  Converse.  Annual  subscription,  50  cents. 

The  Pacific  Cat  Club,  founded  1900.  Corresponding 
secretary,  Mrs.  A.  H.  Brod,  114  Broderick  Street,  San  Fran- 
cisco. Annual  subscription,  i  dollar. 

The  Atlantic  Cat  Club,  recently  founded  in  New  York  in 
February  1902.  President,  Col.  Mann ;  corresponding  secre- 
tary, Dr.  Ottolesgui,  80  West  Fortieth  Street,  New  York. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  list  that  the  only  long-haired 
breeds  not  provided  for  by  any  specialist  club  are  Blacks, 
Whites,  and  Brown  Tabbies.  When  the  Blue  Persian  Cat 
Society  was  founded,  the  idea  of  making  it  a  self-coloured 
society  and  including  Blacks  and  Whites  was  raised,  but  the 
"  Blue  "  fanciers  wished  to  keep  to  their  own  colour.  Pro- 
bably before  another  year  is  out  some  enterprising  and 
enthusiastic  "  self"  breeder  will  gather  these  handsome 
breeds  within  the  fold  of  specialist  societies.  Then  the 
dear  "  Brownies  "  will  be  the  only  remaining  variety,  and  I 
would  fain  start  a  little  Society  myself  for  these — my  pet 
pussies,  I  frankly  confess — but  I  fear  I  must  leave  it  to 
some  other  friend  of  the  Brown  Tabby  to  muster  the 
breeders  of  these  handsome  but  neglected  cats. 

As  will  be  seen  from  the  list,  America  is  well  provided 

G 


98  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

with  Cat  Clubs.  The  Chicago  Club  was  the  first  in  the 
field,  followed  by  The  Beresford  Cat  Club,  which  was 
founded  in  1899  by  Mrs.  Clinton  Locke  of  Chicago,  and 
was  called  after  Lady  Marcus  Beresford.  I  think  I  am 
correct  in  stating  that  the  members  now  number  nearly 
200.  A  very  large  Cat  Show  is  held  by  this  Club  every  year 
in  January,  where  a  wonderfully  liberal  classification  is  given. 
It  is  well  known  that  our  American  cousins  like  everything 
of  the  best,  and  somehow  they  generally  get  it !  Several 
very  beautiful  and  noted  cats  have  recently  left  these  shores, 
and  are  now  established  in  the  States.  "  The  Stud  Book  of 
the  Beresford  Cat  Club,"  vol.  ii.,  just  received,  is  really  well 
drawn  up  and  arranged  in  a  neat  book  of  handy  size. 

There  were  no  fewer  than  seventy-five  classes  at  the  last 
Cat  Show  held  January  1902.  Only  two  prizes  in  each  class 
are  given,  the  third  award  being  a  V.  H.  C.  card  and  the 
fourth  H.  C.  The  White  classes  in  long-haired,  open  and 
novice  include  separate  ones  for  blue-eyed  and  golden-eyed 
males  and  females.  This  Club  provides  for  Orange  and 
White  in  both  the  long-  and  short-haired  sections  and  for  Blue 
Tabbies,  there  being  special  classes  for  these  cats,  that  on 
this  side  are  relegated  to  the  "  Any  other  colour "  class. 
Neuters  are  well  provided  for  with  four  long-haired  classes 
and  three  short-haired.  There  is  a  class  for  Blue  or  Maltese 
cats,  male  or  female.  Grey  Tabbies  are  included  with  Brown 
Tabbies.  These  are  the  chief  differences  between  the  classi- 
fication of  the  principal  American  Cat  Club  and  our  own. 

I  think  it  will  be  useful  to  give  the  standard  of  points 
drawn  up  by  each  Specialist  Club.  I  therefore  append  the 
following  list : 

BLUE  PERSIANS 

Coat — Any  shade  of  blue  allowable ;  sound  and 
even  in  colour ;  free  from  markings,  shadings, 
or  any  white  hairs.  Fur  long,  thick  and  soft 

in  texture.     Frill  full 30 

Head — Broad  and  round,  with  width  between  the 
ears.     Face  and  nose  short.     Ears  small  and 
tufted.     Cheeks  well  developed        .        .         .25 
Eyes — Orange  ;  large,  round  and  full    .        ,        .20 
Body— Cobby  and  low  on  the  legs         .        .        .     15 
Tail — Short  and  full,  not  tapering          ,        .        .10 


>,  ^ 


1     I 


CAT   CLUBS   AND   CAT  HOMES  99 


SILVER  OR  CHINCHILLAS 

Silvers  or  Chinchillas  should  be  as  pale  and  unmarked  a  silver  as 
it  is  possible  to  breed  them.  Any  brown  or  cream  tinge  a  great 
drawback.  The  eyes  to  be  green  or  orange. 

Value  of  points : 

Head 20 

Shape     .                 15 

Colour  of  coat 25 

Coat  and  condition 20 

Colour,  shape  and  expression  of  eyes     .        .        .10 

Tail 10 


SHADED  SILVERS 

Shaded  Silvers  should  be  a  pale  clear  silver,  shaded  on  face,  legs 
and  back,  but  having  as  few  tabby  markings  as  possible;  eyes, 
green  or  orange.  Any  brown  or  cream  tinge  a  great  drawback. 

Value  of  points : 

Head 20 

Colour  of  coat 25 

Coat  and  condition 20 

Colour,  shape  and  expression  of  eyes     .         ,        .10 

Shape 15 

Tail 10 


SILVER  TABBIES 

Silver  Tabbies  should  be  a  pale  clear  silver,  with  distinct  black 

markings.     Any  brown  or  cream  tinge  a  great  drawback  ;  eyes  to  be 
drange  or  green. 

Value  of  points  : 

Head  and  expression 25 

Colour  and  markings      .•••«,  25 

Colour  of  eyes        •         ••••••  5 

Coat  and  condition         •        •        •        •  20 

Shape •        .  15 

Tail                               .  10 


ioo  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 


SMOKES 

Smoke  Cats  should  be  black,  shading  to  smoke  grey)  with  a 
light  an  undercoat  as  possible ;  light  frill  and  ear  tufts  ;  eyes  to  ba 
orange. 

Values  of  points : 

Head  and  expression      •••••.  20 

Colour  of  eyes 15 

Colour  of  undercoat 10 

Absence  of  markings 15 

Coat  and  condition         ......  20 

Tail 10 

Shape    .       • zo 


CREAM  OR  FAWN 

Colour — To  be  as  pure  as  possible  without  mark- 
ing or  shading,  either  paler  or  darker,  dulness 
and  white  to  be  particularly  avoided.  All 
shades  from  the  palest  fawn  to  be  allowable  .  25 

Coat — To  be  very  long  and  fluffy  .         .         .         -25 

Size  and  Shape — To  be  large,  not  coarse,  but 
massive,  with  plenty  of  bone  and  substance, 
short  legs 2O 

Head — To  be  round  and  broad,  with  short  nose, 

ears  small  and  well  opened  .  .  .  .15 

Eyes — To  be  large  and  full,  and  bright  orange  or 
hazel  hi  colour  .  .  .  .  .5 

Condition       .        .        •        •        •        •        •        .10 


ORANGE,  SELF  OR  TABBY 

Colour  and  Marking — Colour  to  be  as  bright  as 
possible,  and  either  self,  or  markings  to  be  as 
distinct  as  can  be  got 25 

Coat — To  be  silky,  very  long  and  fluffy          .         .     25 

Size  and  Shape — To  be  large,  not  coarse,  but 
massive,  with  plenty  of  bone  and  substance, 
short  legs 20 

Head — To  be  round  and  broad,  with  short  nose, 

ears  small  and  well  opened  .  .  .  .15 

Eyes — To  be  large  and  full,  and  bright  orange  or 
hazel  in  colour 5 

Condition 10 


CAT   CLUBS   AND   CAT   HOMES  101 


TORTOISESHELL 

Colour  and  Marking — The  three  colours,  Black, 
Orange,  and  Yellow,  to  be  well  broken,  and  as 
bright  and  well  defined  as  possible  ;  free  from 
Tabby  markings.  No  white  .  .  .  .30 

Coat — To  be  silky,  very  long  and  fluffy  .         .         .20 

Size  and  Shape — To  be  large,  not  coarse,  but 
massive,  with  plenty  of  bone  and  substance, 
short  legs 25 

Head— To  be  round  and  broad,  with  short  nose, 

ears  small  and  well  opened  .  .  .  .15 

Eyes — To  be  large  and  full,  and  bright  orange  or 

hazel  in  colour  ......  5 

Condition       ...,.,,.     10 


CHINCHILLA 

Used  also  in  Amerka.  The  Chinchilla  Cat  Club  having  been 
invited  to  draw  up  the  standard  for  judging  Chinchilla  Cats  in  the 
U.S.A. 

Colour  of  Coat — Palest  silver  lavender  tint  pre- 
ferred, nearly  white  at  roots.  No  dark  stripes, 
blotches,  or  brown  tint.  Darker  tips  to  the 
long  hairs  give  the  coat  an  appearance  of 
being  lightly  peppered  with  a  darker  shade, 
or  with  black.  The  whole  appearance  of  the 
cat  to  be  very  pale 30 

Coat — Long  and  thick    ......     20 

Texture  of  Coat — Fine  and  soft      .         .         .         .10 

Tufts  of  hair  inside  and  round  the  ears  and  between 

the  toes 10 

Head — Broad  and  round.  Forehead  wide.  Ears 

small  and  set  low,  nose  short  .  .  .  .23 

Shape — Back  level,  not  too  short.  Legs  short. 
Paws  round.  Brush  short,  wide,  and  carried 
low 2O 

Eyes — Large,  luminous.  Colour,  green,  or  green 
and  yellow  mixture  (called  hazel  in  connection 
with  cats),  5  points.  Not  yellow  or  orange  .  10 


ROYAL  CAT  OF  SIAM 

Body  Colour  as  light  and  even  as  possible,  cream  being  the  most 
desirable,  but  fawn  also  admissible,  with  streaks,  bars,  blotches,  or 
other  body  markings. 


102  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT   THEM 

Points — i.e. ,  mask,  ears,  legs  and  feet,  and  tail,  dark  and  clearly 
defined,  of  the  shade  known  as  "  seal-brown." 

Mask,  complete — i.e.,  connected  by  tracings  with  the  ears,  neither 
separated  by  a  pale  ring  as  in  kittens,  nor  blurred  and  indistinct, 
the  desideratum  being  to  preserve  "  the  marten-face,"  an  impression 
greatly  aided  by  a  good  mask. 
Eyes. — Bright  and  decided  blue. 
Coat. — Glossy  and  close-lying. 

Shape. — Body  rather  long,  legs  proportionately  slight. 
Head. — Rather  long  and  pointed. 

General  Appearance. — With  points  emphasised  above,  a  somewhat 
curious  and  striking-looking  cat — graceful,  elegant,  of  medium  size; 
if  weighty  not  showing  bulk,  as  this  would  detract  from  the  admired 
svette  appearance.  In  type,  in  every  particular,  the  reverse  of  the 
ideal  short-haired  domestic  cat,  and  with  properly  preserved  con- 
trasts of  colour,  a  very  handsome  animal,  often  also  distinguished 
by  a  kink  in  the  tail. 

Body  colour 20 

Shape 10 

Coat 10 

Head      .,,......10 

Eyes 20 

Mask 15 

Density  of  points  (i.e.,  mask,  feet  and  legs,  tail)     .     15 

SHORT-HAIRED  CATS 

White  Cats  should  be  pure  white,  without  markings ;  eyes,  blue. 

Black :  Pure  and  rich  black  ;  no  white ;  eyes,  orange. 

Blue:  Pure  blue  without  markings  ;  no  white ;  eyes,  orange. 

Tortoiseshell:  Patched  yellow,  orange  and  black;  no  stripes,  no 
white  ;  eyes,  orange. 

Tortoiseshell  with  white  :  White  patched  with  yellow,  orange  and 
black  ;  no  stripes ;  eyes,  orange. 

Silver  Tabby :  Pale  silver  grey,  marked  with  rich  black  stripes 
or  bars ;  no  pure  white  ;  eyes,  green  or  orange. 

Brown  Tabby :  Golden  brown,  marked  with  rich  black  stripes  or 
bars  ;  no  white ;  eyes,  orange  or  green. 

Orange  Tabby  :  Light  orange  or  red,  with  darker  stripes  or  bars ; 
no  white  ;  eyes,  hazel  or  golden  brown. 

Manx :  Any  colour,  eyes,  to  follow  colour  as  above ;  outer-coat 
rather  long,  and  having  a  soft  rabbit-like  under-coat ;  no  tail ;  hind 
quarters  rather  higher  than  fore  quarters. 

ENTERING  FOR  EXHIBITION 

On  the  next  page  is  a  copy  of  the  entry  form  used  by 
The  National  Cat  Club,  which  will  serve  as  a  sample  of  the 
general  form  used  by  various  club  secretaries  : 


\ 


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Miss  Frances  Simpson's  Blue  Kitten  "  Bonnie  Boy ' 
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104  CATS  AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

I  feel  I  cannot  bring  my  remarks  to  a  close  without  making 
some  reference  to  those  excellent  institutions  which  must 
appeal  to  the  hearts  of  the  animal-loving  public.  I  mean 
the  homes  for  poor  stray  and  starving  cats.  The  first 
organised  attempt  to  deal  with  this  question  in  London 
was  started  in  1895  under  the  title  of  "The  Society 
for  the  Protection  of  Cats."  In  connection  with  this 
there  is  now  A  Home  for  Starving  and  Forsaken  Cats. 
Mrs.  Gordon  is  a  most  able  and  energetic  Hon.  Secre- 
tary, and  devotes  a  great  deal  of  her  time  to  the  poor 
animals  that  are  brought  or  sent  to  Gordon  Cottage, 
King  Street,  Hammersmith.  Let  those  interested  in  the 
humane  work  carried  on  at  this  excellent  institution  send 
for  a  report,  or,  better  still,  pay  a  visit  to  the  cottage 
home,  where  they  will  be  welcomed  between  the  hours 
of  2  and  5  P.M. 

In  the  North  of  London  there  is  another  excellent  institu- 
tion for  Lost  and  Starving  Cats,  to  which  her  Majesty  the 
Queen  has  graciously  given  her  patronage.  This  home  is 
entirely  dependent  on  the  voluntary  aid  of  sympathetic 
friends,  and  when  I  mention  that  during  last  year  nearly 
12,000  cats  were  received,  some  idea  will  be  given  of  the 
amount  of  funds  required  to  carry  on  this  work  of  mercy. 
The  premises  have  lately  been  enlarged,  and  the  Hon. 
Manageress,  Mrs.  Morgan  (35,  Ferdinand  Street,  Camden 
Town,  N.W.),  is  sorely  in  need  of  donations  towards  the 
extra  expenses  incurred.  I  have  personally  visited  both 
these  institutions,  and  can  testify  to  the  excellent  arrange- 
ments for  feeding,  and  also  for  painlessly  destroying  them 
when  no  homes  can  be  found. 

The  Dublin  Cats'  Home  was  started  by  Miss  Swifte  six- 
teen years  ago.  I  have  been  deeply  interested  in  reading 
the  annual  report.  It  speaks  well  for  the  natives  of  the 
Emerald  Isle  and  for  the  hearts  of  the  Irish  people,  that 
they  should  be  the  first  to  recognise  the  needs  of  poor  stray 
and  forsaken  cats.  With  characteristic  enthusiasm  they  set 
about  erecting  an  institution  at  Grand  Canal  Quay,  Dublin. 
Miss  Swifte,  the  President  and  Hon.  Treasurer,  was  the 
pioneer  of  the  movement  and  has  carried  on  her  good  work 
in  the  face  of  many  difficulties  and,  I  have  no  doubt,  also 
that  she  and  the  other  founders  of  like  institutions  have  had 


CAT  CLUBS  AND   CAT  HOMES  105 

to  suffer  much  ridicule,  for  the  majority  of  human  beings 
have  very  little  sympathy  with  "  mere  cats,"  and  seem  to 
think  they,  of  all  animals,  are  least  deserving  of  kindness 
and  consideration.  Miss  Swifte's  private  address  is  2  Earls- 
fort  Mansions,  Earlsfort  Terrace,  Dublin. 

The  Battersea  Home  for  Lost  Dogs  has  also  accommoda- 
tion for  cats  as  strays  and  boarders. 

And  now  a  few  words  about  the  boarding  out  of  our 
pussies.  I  am  constantly  asked  if  I  know  of  a  good  place 
where  cats  will  be  taken  care  of  during  the  absence  of  the 
owner.  I  wonder  that  more  cat  lovers  and  cat  fanciers 
wishing  to  add  to  their  incomes  do  not  start  boarding-houses 
for  cats.  I  think  there  is  a  great  opening  for  such  an  enter- 
prise. At  present  I  only  know  personally  of  two  ladies  who 
receive  pussies  at  so  much  per  week.  Miss  Harper,  of 
Briarlea,  Haywards  Heath,  is  well  known  in  the  Fancy,  and 
although  I  have  not  been  to  see  her  "  catteries,"  I  am  told 
they  are  capitally  planned,  and  I  have  often  recommended 
my  friends  to  send  their  cats  to  be  taken  care  of  by  Miss 
Harper,  who  gives  her  personal  attention  to  all  the  boarders 
entrusted  to  her. 

I  have  also  had  testimony  to  the  excellent  manner  in 
which  Mrs.  Carew  Cox  caters  for  her  pussy  visitors.  A 
fancier  who  had  placed  her  cats  at  the  Kremlin,  New 
Milton,  Hants,  for  some  months,  was  so  surprised  and 
delighted  at  the  appearance  of  her  pets  on  their  return  that 
she  wrote  asking  for  a  special  description  of  the  menu  pro- 
vided. 

Mrs.  Carew  Cox  and  Miss  Harper  are  both  successful 
breeders  of  prize-winning  cats,  and  they  have  also  that 
genuine  love  for  the  animals  which  is  so  necessary  and 
essential  when  taking  charge  of  other  people's  pets. 

I  may  here  mention  that  the  chief  organs  of  the  cat 
world  in  England  are  Fur  and  Feather  and  Our  Cats,  and  in 
America,  The  Cat  Journal,  The  American  Cat  News,  and 
Field  and  Fancy. 

In  regard  to  the  Blue  "Maltese"  (a  name  which,  perhaps, 
has  as  much  justification  as  the  English  "  Russian ")  in 
America,  Mr.  E.  N.  Barker  says :  "There  are  lots  of  Blues,  light 
and  dark,  short-haired,  and  these  are  always  called  Maltese. 
The  origin  of  the  term  I  never  could  trace  to  its  foundation, 


106          CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

but  they  are  much  treasured.  Occasionally  you  find  Maltese 
(so  called)  of  other  colours,  and  Blue  and  White.  The 
owners  are  generally  under  the  impression  that  these  cats 
are  a  special  breed  to  themselves ;  this  point,  however,  is 
open  to  doubt." 

The  same  authority,  referring  to  Tortoiseshells,  says  :  "  I 
doubt  if  this  breed  will  ever  find  favour  in  America,  and 
Blacks  are  too  sombre  for  this  country,  where  people  enjoy 
a  good  deal  of  sunshine,  the  fancy  being  more  apt  to  run 
to  lively  colours." 

Another  curious  item  about  American  cats  is  that  there 
have  been  for  many  years,  in  the  States  of  Maine  and 
Massachusetts,  and  on  the  islands  off  that  coast,  quite 
a  number  of  long  haired  cats,  called  by  the  natives  "  Coon 
cats,"  because  of  their  jackets.  History  relates  that  they 
were  brought  from  the  East  on  ships,  and  being  landed  on 
the  islands  are  tolerably  pure,  though  some  have  crossed 
with  wild  cats  and  ordinary  cats  and  have  varied  also  from 
climatic  influence.  They  are  mostly  rather  large,  strong 
cats,  well  coated,  with  wonderful  tails,  big  in  the  ear,  short 
of  fur  over  the  head  and  inclined  to  be  long  in  the  nose. 
Amongst  the  Maine  cats  are  some  of  a  curious  seal- brown 
colour,  or  deep  mahogany  red,  with  not  a  vestige  or  sign  of 
markings,  giving  them  an  undoubted  suggestion  (however 
impossible)  of  a  'coon  (raccoon)  strain  in  them.  Hence,  pre- 
sumably, the  name. 

I  confess  that  I  should  like  to  see  specimens  of  these 
cats  in  England. 

Miss  Helen  M.  Winslow  in  her  book  concerning  cats  says 
that  by  many  people  this  Blue  or  Maltese  cat  is  not  con- 
sidered a  distinct  breed.  It  seems  vaguely  to  be  known  as 
the  Archangel,  Russian,  Spanish  and  Chartreuse,  and  yet 
probably  it  is  only  a  cross  between  Blacks  and  Whites. 
Miss  Winslow  gives  a  picture  of  her  "  Pretty  Lady  "  and 
describes  her  as  a  "beautiful,  fascinating  and  seductive 
Maltese,  with  white  trimmings  to  her  coat."  The  illustra- 
tion suggests  a  cross  between  a  Russian  and  a  short-haired 
English  cat  with  an  expansive  white  shirt  front  and  white 
gloves. 


VI 

MISCELLANEOUS 


THERE  is  a  great  deal  in  the  way  in  which  a  cat  carries 
her  tail.  It  ought  not  to  be  stuck  up  straight  in  the  air  nor 
yet  curled  under  the  hind  legs,  or  dragged  along  the  ground. 
I  like  to  see  a  Persian  cat's  tail  carried  just  on  a  level  with 
the  body,  and  slightly  curving  upwards  towards  the  end. 
Small  ears  are  a  great  beauty  in  a  cat.  They  should  not  be 
wide  at  the  base,  nor  pointed  at  the  tip.  Nice  ear  tufts 
make  a  wonderful  difference  in  the  appearance  of  a  Persian 
cat. 

Ordinary  hampers  may  be  made  more  portable  for  cats  it 
a  double  strap,  such  as  is  used  for  rugs,  is  run  twice  through 
the  wicker  work,  and  the  handle  brought  to  the  top. 

To  fanciers  wishing  to  start  Persian  cats,  chiefly  with  a 
view  to  taking  prizes  at  our  shows,  I  would  recommend 
them  to  obtain  a  really  good  Black  queen,  with  amber  eyes. 
At  each  of  the  principal  shows  the  Black  class  is  ever  the 
weakest ;  this  is  specially  the  case  as  regards  the  female  sex. 
A  really  handsome  Black  Persian  is  a  thing  of  beauty. 

Kittens  that  live  out  of  doors  and  are  constantly  in  the 
hot  sunshine,  readily  get  sunburnt  and  their  pretty  coats 
become  tinged  with  brown.  But  do  not  be  unhappy,  as 
this  will  disappear  with  their  kitten  coat,  and  by  fresh  air 
and  exercise  and  the  strengthening  rays  of  the  sun,  the  little 
ones  will  be  laying  in  a  stock  of  health. 


io8          CATS   AND   ALL   ABOUT   THEM 

A  capital  collar  for  9  cat  is  a  leather  garter  lined  with 
flannel.  The  sharp  edges  being  covered  do  not  injure  the 
frill  and  fur. 

All  White  cats  are  not  deaf,  but  in  purchasing  one  of  this 
breed  it  is  always  best  to  test  their  sense  of  hearing.  If 
stone-deaf,  the  price  should  certainly  not  be  so  high,  as 
although  this  fact  does  not  prevent  a  cat  from  winning 
prizes,  yet  it  is  undesirable  for  our  pets  to  be  deaf  to  our 
entreaties. 

White  kittens  are  frequently  born  with  a  dab  or  splash  of 
grey  on  their  heads.  Tnis  apparent  serious  blemish  is 
only  temporary,  and  as  the  kittens  grow  the  dark  hairs 
vanish. 

Tabby  markings  are  often  visible  upon  Blues  when  they 
are  tiny  mites,  and  one  is  apt  to  fear  lest  these  should 
become  more  and  more  apparent,  but  as  the  fur  grows  they 
quite  disappear,  leaving  no  trace  of  stripes  or  bars. 

It  would  be  a  great  benefit  if  the  executive  of  all  cat 
shows  decided  to  supply  only  water  for  the  pussies,  unless 
milk  was  specially  asked  for.  I  think  we  should  then  hear 
of  fewer  disasters  following  exhibitions.  Nothing  collects 
germs  so  easily  and  quickly  as  milk,  and  in  all  weathers 
there  is  the  risk  of  its  turning  sour.  In  and  about  London, 
and,  indeed,  even  in  the  country,  it  is  unfortunately  the 
custom  to  introduce  boracic  acid  as  a  preservative,  which 
proves  a  poison  to  cats  and  delicate  children. 

Cobby  cats  are  certainly  to  be  preferred  as  regards 
appearance,  but  I  incline  to  the  belief  that  those  females 
who  are  long-bodied  are  the  best  cats  to  breed  from. 

It  is  not  a  bad  idea  to  have  warm  coats  made  for  our 
travelling  queens  when  making  a  long  journey  in  cold 
weather.  A  lady  was  sent  to  my  stud  the  other  day  clothed 
in  a  very  smart  jacket,  through  which  her  front  paws  were 
placed,  and  it  was  buttoned  up  on  her  back.  This  puss 
had  also  a  pair  of  washleather  boots  on  her  back  legs,  so 


MISCELLANEOUS  109 

her  appearance  was  a  little  startling  !  The  boots  were  as  a 
preventive  to  scratching  her  eyes  or  ears.  I  think  only  a 
very  amicable  cat  would  stand  these  trying  appendages. 

The  eyes  begin  to  change  colour  in  kittens  when  they  are 
about  three  months  old.  It  is  disappointing  when  the  bright 
blue  eyes  of  White  kittens  gradually  assume  a  pale  greenish 
hue,  and  finally  about  five  or  six  months  old,  settle  down 
into  a  decided  yellow.  In  blue  kittens  we  look  out  anxiously 
for  the  orange  tinge.  In  these  kittens  the  blue  eyes  quickly 
lose  their  brightness,  and  when  first  the  colour  appears  to  be 
changing  it  seems  almost  the  same  colour  as  their  coats.  It 
is  a  curious  fact  that  in  many  cats  it  is  impossible  to  state 
whether  the  eyes  are  green  or  yellow.  This  is  especially  the 
case  in  Blues  and  Silvers.  The  health  of  the  animal  has 
a  great  deal  to  do  with  the  density  of  the  colour  in  the  eyes. 

The  question  of  hampers  versus  boxes  for  our  cats  when 
travelling  is  one  that  demands  attention,  more  especially 
during  winter.  In  cold  weather  I  believe  in  boxes  with 
ventilation  on  the  top.  Then  comes  the  question  of  how  to 
secure  a  sufficiency  of  air,  as,  in  spite  of  our  directions, 
"  Live  Cat,  with  Care,"  the  railway  officials  will  heap  luggage 
on  the  top  of  our  precious  cargo.  I  advise  fixing  blocks  of 
wood,  about  two  inches  in  thickness,  on  the  lids,  and  thus 
the  danger  of  suffocation  would  be  avoided. 

It  may  sound  foolish,  but  there  is  no  covering  so  warm 
and  air-tight  as  paper,  and  I  have  found  this  cheap  com- 
modity most  useful  and  efficient.  If  you  wish  to  send  a  puss 
on  a  journey  in  a  hamper,  then  procure  a  large  sheet  of 
brown  paper,  place  the  hamper  in  the  middle,  and  fold  it  up 
like  a  parcel,  leaving  a  square  space  on  top  of  the  lid  round 
the  handle.  This  is  really  a  better  mode  of  protecting  the 
cat  than  by  any  inner  linings,  which  are  often  scratched 
down  by  struggling  and  protesting  animals.  If,  however, 
you  like  to  have  a  double  protection,  don't  select  red  flannel, 
or  any  material  of  brilliant  hue,  as  I  have  seen  a  light- 
coloured  puss  issue  from  a  basket  partially  dyed  scarlet. 

We  all  know  what  a  very  trying  habit  our  pussies  have  of 


no          CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

sharpening  their  claws  on  choice  pieces  of  furniture.  They 
generally  show  a  great  partiality  for  leather-covered  chairs. 
It  is  quite  necessary  that  cats  should  exercise  their  talons,  so 
it  is  best  to  provide  a  large  log  of  wood  in  the  cattery  or  in 
the  house,  where  they  may  claw  away  to  their  heart's 
delight. 

Try  and  avoid  sending  your  queens  on  visits  in  mon- 
strously large  packages,  for  many  reasons  it  is  not  desirable. 
I  think  a  cat  is  more  apt  to  get  knocked  and  rolled  about 
travelling  in  a  very  big  hamper  than  a  small  one.  Then 
again,  an  unwieldy  box  or  hamper  gives  more  trouble 
and  sometimes  extra  expense  in  getting  to  and  fro  from  the 
station. 

In  insuring  your  pussies  insist  on  having  the  yellow  in- 
surance ticket  placed  on  the  hamper  in  your  presence. 
Sometimes  you  pay  your  money  and  then  in  the  hurry  of 
getting  the  package  to  the  train  the  ticket  is  forgotten. 

The  theory  that  human  beings  can  and  do  contract  dis- 
eases from  cats  does  not  hold  water.  I  have  often  asked 
caretakers  of  cats'  homes  and  hospitals  whether  any  of  the 
complaints  of  the  pussies  have  been  given  to  the  people 
who  attend  to  them,  and  the  answer  has  always  been  in  the 
negative. 

I  have  recently  been  purchasing  cat  travelling  baskets  for 
friends,  and  I  can  highly  recommend  those  made  by  Spratt's. 
They  are  very  strong,  and  have  the  straps  for  fasteners, 
which  are  vastly  preferable  to  the  wicker  loops  and  stick. 
The  latter  seems  always  missing  at  the  critical  moment  when 
we  are  sending  off  our  pussies  on  a  journey.  Then,  again, 
the  loops  break  away,  and  we  are  at  a  loss  to  get  tnem 
mended.  The  skeleton  lids  are  a  valuable  addition. 

It  is  not  well,  for  many  reasons,  to  allow  stud  cats  to 
have  their  freedom — that  is,  if  they  are  of  any  value.  After 
a  male  has  reached  the  years  of  discretion  and  discernment 
he  will  soon  begin  to  stray  away,  and  probably  on  his  return 
after  a  day  or  two  he  will  show  signs  of  having  had  a  sharp 


MISCELLANEOUS  in 

contest  with  some  of  his  tribe.  Then  he  runs  the  risk  of 
being  trapped  or  shot.  The  feline  society  with  which  he 
comes  in  contact  during  his  rambles  may  have  been 
anything  but  desirable.  Infection  may  be  brought  back, 
and  if  there  are  other  pussies  at  home  this  is  a  serious 
matter. 

The  difference  between  a  good-shaped  eye  of  a  pale 
colour  and  a  small,  beady  eye  of  a  more  correct  shade  is 
perhaps  hardly  appreciated  by  some  judges,  who  without 
hesitation  give  the  preference  to  the  latter.  Nothing  lends 
such  expression  to  a  cat  as  a  large,  round,  full  eye — and,  of 
course,  let  it  be  the  correct  colour  if  possible. 

There  is  really  no  reason  to  regard  distemper  as  a  neces- 
sary evil  in  cats.  In  the  case  of  one  pet  kept  at  home  and 
well  cared  for,  the  chances  are  certainly  against  the  occur- 
rence of  the  disease.  Then,  I  am  of  opinion  that  so-called 
distemper  embraces  a  variety  of  complaints,  from  any  or  all 
of  which  a  cat  may  suffer.  A  simple  cold  in  the  head,  or 
an  attack  of  influenza,  sometimes  is  mistaken  for  distemper, 
and  a  gastric  attack  may  be  also  thus  designated. 

As  regards  cross-journeys,  do  let  me  impress  on  all 
fanciers  the  importance  of  sending  off  their  pussies  as  early 
as  possible  in  the  morning.  If  you  wait  till  mid-day,  and 
your  cat  has  to  cross  London  and  be  booked  again  to  some 
suburb,  it  is  certain  she  will  be  left  all  night  in  a  parcels' 
office. 

Any  one  who  has  tried  getting  kittens  to  sit  for  their  por- 
traits knows  how  difficult  it  is  to  make  the  fidgety  little 
creatures  be  quiet.  Try  holding  up  a  looking-glass  so  that 
the  kit  can  see  its  own  reflection.  This  experiment  often 
answers  splendidly. 

A  cat  lover  with  a  warm  heart  is  often  tempted  to  take  in 
a  wandering  puss.  By  all  means  feed  the  hungry,  but  be- 
ware of  letting  a  stray  mix  with  your  own  kittens.  Many 
a  fancier  has  been  bitten,  and  in  consequence  is  shy  of 
letting  her  sympathy  run  away  with  her  prudence. 


ii2          CATS   AND  ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

It  is  most  improving  for  the  fur  of  young  kittens  to  have 
a  good  romp.  They  delight  in  rolling  about  those  little 
celluloid  balls  which  rattle.  Don't  let  them  play  with  corks, 
as  I  have  known  them  bite  pieces  off,  and  they  swell  in 
their  inside  and  are  most  dangerous.  I  have  also  heard  of 
string  being  swallowed,  and  becoming  twisted  round  the 
intestines. 

The  enamel  unbreakable  ware  is  decidedly  the  nicest  and 
most  serviceable  for  our  pussies.  I  recently  observed  upon 
the  very  convenient  shape  of  some  of  these  dishes  in  use  in 
a  very  complete  cattery.  I  was  told  they  were  frying-pans 
from  which  the  handle  had  been  removed  ! 

It  is  curious  that  as  a  rule  the  lighter  the  coat  of  the  cat 
the  more  fragile  is  the  constitution.  For  instance,  amongst 
Persians,  Whites  and  Silvers  are  less  hardy  than  Blacks  and 
Tabbies. 

If  you  wish  to  pick  up  a  dangerous  or  strange  cat  be 
careful  to  seize  it  quickly  and  firmly  by  the  back  of  its  neck 
and  hold  it  out  at  arm's  length.  It  will  then  only  be  able 
to  use  strong  language. 

I  have  heard  that  the  best  way  to  part  two  fighting  cats 
is  to  pour  water  upon  them.  I  know  from  a  painful 
experience  that  it  is  dangerous  to  attempt  to  separate  them. 

It  is  really  better  to  give  your  puss  a  name  suggestive  of 
his  or  her  sex.  I  can  assure  you  this  is  of  assistance  to  the 
judges  and  to  those  who  have  the  arrangement  of  specials 
given  at  a  show. 

If  any  one  is  kind  enough  to  send  you  a  cat  on  approval 
and  she  does  not  suit  you,  do  not  return  her  the  next  day, 
especially  if  she  has  travelled  far,  but  keep  the  poor  puss 
for  two  nights  and  a  day,  and  start  her  off  early  the 
following  morning,  giving  the  sender  due  notice  of  her 
return. 

Beware  of  tying  ribbons  round  your  pussies'  necks.     They 


MISCELLANEOUS  113 

look  very  smart,  but  I  have  known  of  several  sad  and  fatal 
accidents  caused  by  these  pretty  adornments.  There  is  the 
danger  of  cats  being  caught  and  hung  in  the  bushes.  It  is 
also  unwise  to  tether  cats  in  the  garden  if  within  reach  of 
any  trees. 

I  don't  agree  with  the  use  of  the  bucket  for  poor  little 
rejected  kittens,  and  consider  the  most  humane  way  of 
destroying  them  is  to  put  them  in  an  air-tight  box  with  a 
piece  of  rag  or  flannel  that  has  been  freely  sprinkled  with 
chloroform.  They  will  gradually  inhale  the  fumes  and  pass 
away  in  their  sleep.  For  grown  cats  the  same  method 
should  be  adopted,  and  no  cat  fancier  should  be  without  a 
small  quantity  of  chloroform.  Accidents  will  happen  in  the 
best  regulated  catteries,  and  sometimes  it  is  best  to  put  our 
pets  out  of  their  misery.  It  requires  some  strength  of  mind, 
but  if  you  feel  you  cannot  summon  up  the  courage,  then 
take  your  puss  to  the  nearest  chemist,  and  insist  on  chloro- 
forming, not  poisoning. 

A  very  safe  and  delicious  disinfectant  is  "Eucryl,"  as 
used  at  the  Cat  Club  Shows.  The  perfume  is  pleasant, 
and  not  the  least  overpowering.  I  have  found  it  very  effi- 
cacious to  sprinkle  in  cat-houses,  and  a  little  mixed  with 
water  can  be  used  with  advantage  in  cleansing  the  floors 
and  woodwork. 

Now  that  there  are  specialist  societies  for  several  breeds 
of  cats,  prizes  for  these  are  well  supplied  at  the  various 
shows.  I  would,  therefore,  suggest  that  fanciers  should  try 
to  encourage  Blacks,  Whites,  and  Brown  Tabbies,  who 
have  no  society  to  look  after  them,  and  offer  specials  on 
their  behalf. 

Cats  are  very  sensible  to  strong  odours  or  perfumes. 
They  have  a  great  objection  to  the  smell  of  orange-peel.  I 
am  sure  they  resent  the  very  strong  disinfectants  used  at 
some  shows.  They  particularly  dislike  their  beds  to  be 
scented  with  any  of  these  fluids  or  powders. 

Have  you  noticed  the  different  colours  of  cats'  noses 

H 


ii4  CATS   AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

according  to  the  breeds  ?  In  Blue  cats  they  are  just  about 
the  colour  of  the  coat,  the  same  with  Black  Persians. 
Orange  cats  have  pink  noses,  and  the  Silvers  mostly  a  sort 
of  brick-dust  colour;  this  also  is  the  case  with  Brown 
Tabbies. 

Here  are  particulars  of  two  very  inexpensive  articles  useful 
to  fanciers.  If  you  do  not  have  your  tins  made  for  holding 
the  earth,  then  purchase  large  earthenware  flower-pot  saucers. 
These  are  much  preferable  to  wooden  boxes.  Baskets  come 
expensive  if  you  need  many  for  cats  travelling,  so  I  advise 
you  to  lay  in  a  stock  of  margarine  baskets,  which  your 
butterman  and  grocer  will  let  you  have  for  a  few  pence. 

Let  me  recommend  my  readers  to  pay  a  visit  to  the 
Camden  Town  Institution  for  Lost  and  Starving  Cats.  It 
is  splendidly  managed,  and  all  information  as  to  the  most 
humane  way  of  destroying  injured  or  aged  cats  is  readily 
given.  One  has  to  see,  in  order  to  believe,  how  absolutely 
painless  is  the  sleep  of  death  in  the  lethal  box  for  poor 
pussy. 

When  your  pets  are  in  full  coat,  then  is  the  time  to  have 
their  photographs  taken.  It  is  often  very  convenient  and 
useful  to  have  a  good  picture  of  your  stud  cat  or  queen  to 
send  to  would-be  purchasers  of  them,  or  of  their  kittens.  A 
reproduction  in  Our  Cats  has  often  proved  a  splendid 
advertisement  for  fanciers. 

Never  be  persuaded  into  purchasing  a  cat  or  kitten  that  is 
suffering  from  snuffles,  or  nasal  catarrh.  This  troublesome 
complaint,  which  is  often  the  remnants  of  distemper,  is 
seldom  really  curable.  It  is  most  distressing,  not  to  say 
disgusting,  to  have  a  cat  that  is  sneezing  all  over  the  place. 

If  you  are  desirous  of  discovering  the  pedigree  of  a  cat, 
you  should  send  a  shilling  to  the  secretary  of  the  club  and 
ask  for  it  to  be  looked  up  and  forwarded  to  you. 

It  is  a  very  good  thing  to  accustom  your  cats  to  answer  to 
their  names,  and  if  you  give  them  some  high-sounding  title 


MISCELLANEOUS  115 

for  the  register  and  the  show  catalogue,  keep  a  nice  short 
pet  name  for  home  use. 

It  is  often  supposed  that  worms  take  whatever  medicine 
is  given  to  the  cat ;  but  this  is  not  so,  the  worm  absorbs  the 
nourishment,  and  if  a  substance  is  given  that  assimilates 
readily  with  the  food  then  these  pests  are  destroyed,  and 
when  dead,  expelled. 

When  trying  to  pick  out  the  best  kittens  in  a  litter  of  Self- 
coloured  ones,  first  see  whether  there  is  any  white  spot  on 
throat  or  stomach,  then  direct  your  attention  to  the  size  of 
head,  width  between  the  ears,  and  broadness  of  face.  A 
short  tail  is  to  be  desired  in  both  Persian  and  English  cats. 

When  you  are  ordering  medicines  from  any  of  the  cat 
doctors,  be  sure  and  give  the  age  of  your  cat  or  kit,  and  it  is 
also  advisable  to  mention  some  of  the  symptoms  of  the 
illness  with  which  they  are  troubled. 

A  kitten  may  be  considered  a  cat  when  it  has  shed  its 
first  teeth.  This  process  takes  place  between  six  and  nine 
months,  and  often  during  this  period  puss  is  out  of  sorts, 
and  refuses  her  food,  for  the  gums  are  tender  and  sore. 

It  is  always  a  sure  sign  of  good  health  if,  when  a  cat  or 
kitten  has  finished  a  meal,  it  slowly  stretches  itself,  then  sets 
to  work  to  have  a  vigorous  wash  up,  and  finally  curls  itself 
round  into  a  ball  and  falls  asleep. 

Many  cat  fanciers  may  not  be  aware  that  really  good  and 
healthy  foster-mothers  can  be  procured  from  the  excellent 
homes  for  stray  cats  in  and  about  London.  The  few 
shillings  given  go  to  help  on  the  humane  work  of  these 
splendid  institutions. 

It  would  seem  that  Self-coloured  Manx  cats  are  more 
rare,  and  consequently  more  valuable  than  Marked  or  Tabby 
ones.  Therefore,  when  Black  or  White  Manx  cats  are  for 
sale  it  is  well  to  secure  them. 


n6          CATS  AND   ALL  ABOUT  THEM 

The  tail  of  a  Persian  cat  should  not  be  tapering  at  the 
end ;  this  is  a  defect  that  we  often  meet  with.  The  fur  on 
the  tail  should  be  as  long  at  the  tip  as  higher  up. 

Ear  tufts  in  Persian  cats  add  wonderfully  to  their  personal 
appearance.  They  take  away  from  the  size  of  the  ear  and 
fill  in  an  ugly  vacuum.  In  choosing  a  puss,  look  out  for 
these  fine  feathers. 

Keep  the  pick  of  a  litter  for  yourself  if  you  intend 
showing  or  wish  to  get  a  good  sum  for  a  grown-up  cat, 
but  don't  be  tempted  to  retain  two  or  three  just  to  see 
how  they  will  turn  out. 

We  do  sometimes  hear  of  the  bite  of  a  cat  being  fatal, 
but  this  is  very  rare.  I  have  been  badly  bitten  several 
times  in  separating  cats,  but  beyond  a  certain  amount  of 
pain  no  bad  results  have  followed.  On  each  occasion  I 
have  plunged  my  hand  into  a  basin  of  hot  Condy  and  water, 
and  kept  it  there  for  some  minutes,  and  thus  the  poison  (if 
any)  has  been  drawn  out  of  the  wound. 

Owners  of  stud  cats  are  always  gratified  to  receive  letters 
from  the  senders  of  queens  announcing  the  arrival  of  the 
family,  mentioning  the  number  of  kittens,  and  any  other  in- 
teresting details.  If  one  is  born  dead,  or  dies  shortly  after 
birth,  it  is  considered  correct  to  enter  the  birth  of  the  whole 
number  of  kittens  in  the  cat  papers. 

If  you  belong  to  a  Specialist  Society,  try  and  assist  your 
secretary  by  sending  prompt  replies  to  any  questions  which 
may  be  submitted  to  you  as  members,  and  if  in  your  turn 
you  wish  to  make  some  inquiry,  it  is  only  polite  to  enclose  a 
stamp  for  an  answer. 

Never  lose  an  opportunity  of  giving  a  helping  hand  to  a 
novice  in  cat  breeding,  and  don't  offer  the  services  of  your 
stud  cat  just  for  the  sake  of  the  fee  when  you  feel  and  know 
that  a  cat  of  a  different  type  and  breed  would  give  better 
results  to  the  owner  of  the  queen. 


MISCELLANEOUS  117 

It  is  a  difficult  matter  to  let  our  stud  cats  have  their  free- 
dom even  for  a  short  time  or  to  give  them  an  opportunity  for 
exercise.  I  have  often  tethered  my  torn  cat,  and  for  a  collar 
have  used  a  leather  garter  lined  with  flannel.  One  must  be 
careful  to  give  only  a  sufficient  length  of  cord  to  allow  for 
safe  exercise.  No  shrubs  or  trees  should  be  within  reach,  as 
this  is  very  risky  for  pussy's  neck. 

It  is  undesirable  to  keep  kittens  too  long,  if  profit  is  to  be 
considered.  From  eight  to  twelve  weeks  kittens  are  at  their 
best.  At  about  five  months  most  young  cats  begin  to  shed 
their  coats  and  are  " leggy"  in  appearance. 

It  is  so  much  easier  to  fill  in  your  cat's  pedigree  on  a 
properly  drawn  out  pedigree  form,  and  certainly  it  is  pleasanter 
to  receive  them.  I  have  had  some  written-out  pedigrees  sent 
to  me  from  which  it  was  impossible  even  to  make  sure  of  one 
of  the  parents. 

It  is  a  sort  of  sad  satisfaction  to  know  the  cause  of  our 
pussies'  deaths,  and  therefore  I  advise  fanciers  to  send  the 
remains  to  a  veterinary  for  a  post-mortem.  The  knowledge 
thus  acquired  may  assist  in  determining  the  nature  of  any 
future  illness  in  the  cattery. 

It  is  very  annoying  when  your  cat  persistently  tears  out 
her  ruff,  more  especially  if  you  have  entered  her  for  show. 
I  have  known  fanciers  to  tie  up  pussie's  hind  feet  in  pieces 
of  wash  leather,  but  this  is  a  most  irritating  procedure  so 
far  as  puss  is  concerned,  and  in  some  cases  she  will  not 
rest  till  she  has  got  rid  of  her  shoes. 

As  regards  insuring  cats  travelling  by  rail,  I  believe  the 
usual  rate  is  $d.  for  each  £i  of  value.  I  find  that,  as  long 
as  the  hamper  is  labelled  with  the  insurance  ticket,  this  is 
a  sufficient  safeguard  against  delays  and  exposure ;  so  that, 
unless  the  cat  is  unusually  precious,  the  payment  of  three- 
pence is  all  that  is  required. 

Having  recently  had  occasion  to  send  some  valuable  cats 
abroad,  I  can  testify  to  the  courtesy  and  efficiency  of  Messrs. 


u8          CATS   AND   ALL   ABOUT   THEM 

Spratts  Limited.  A  lot  of  trouble  is  saved  by  applying  to 
them  for  all  particulars  regarding  the  shipping  of  cats  to 
foreign  ports. 

It  is  always  well  to  keep  a  record  of  the  dates  and  names 
of  visiting  queens.  I  found  this  useful  when  receiving  a 
letter  from  the  owner  of  a  mother  puss  who  had  a  litter  of 
nondescript  kittens.  The  writer  was  much  displeased,  and 
seemed  to  imply  that  her  queen  had  been  mated  with  the 
wrong  cat.  I  referred  to  my  register  and  found  that  the 
kittens  were  born  under  the  eight  weeks  from  the  date  of 
the  supposed  mating.  I  therefore  felt  confident  the  lady 
visitor  had  made  other  arrangements  prior  to  her  arrival  at 
my  cattery. 

It  is  always  advisable  to  have  an  old  pair  of  thick  gloves 
to  slip  on  when  one  has  to  handle  strange  cats.  Sometimes 
the  queens,  when  arriving  on  a  visit,  are  very  terrified  on 
being  lifted  out  of  their  basket  or  placed  in  the  cattery,  and 
it  is  just  as  well  to  protect  oneself  from  a  bite  or  a  scratch. 
Care  should  also  be  taken  when  removing  a  queen  from  the 
stud  cat,  as  often  he  resents  the  sudden  departure  of  his 
lady  love. 

In  administering  medicine  to  cats  an  assistant  is  very 
necessary  to  hold  the  animal,  which  should  be  wrapped 
round  with  a  towel  and  the  four  legs  firmly  secured.  With 
the  thumb  and  finger  of  the  left  hand  open  the  mouth,  and 
with  the  right  put  down  the  medicine.  Remember  that  a 
cat  cannot  conveniently  swallow  more  than  a  teaspoonful  of 
liquid  at  a  time,  so  if  a  larger  dose  is  required  it  must  be 
given  by  degrees. 

It  is  quite  possible  to  pull  grown  cats  through  an  attack 
of  influenza,  but  if  kittens  catch  it,  then  I  recommend 
owners  to  have  them  painlessly  put  out  of  their  misery,  for 
it  is  in  vain  to  try  and  save  them.  The  fever  runs  so  high 
that  the  little  creatures  cannot  contend  against  it. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  whiskers  are  the  cat's 
organs  of  touch.  They  are  attached  to  glands  under  the 


MISCELLANEOUS  119 

skin,  and  each  of  the  long  hairs  is  connected  with  the 
nerve  of  the  lip.  The  slightest  contact  of  these  whiskers  is 
felt  most  distinctly  by  the  cat,  although  the  hairs  themselves 
are  insensible.  Let  our  young  friends  remember  this,  and 
never  torture  poor  puss  by  pulling  her  whiskers. 

Nothing  is  so  beneficial  to  a  cat's  health  as  change  of 
air,  and  fanciers  would  do  well  to  try  and  take  one  or 
two  of  their  pets  with  them  to  the  country  or  seaside.  This 
is  especially  necessary  if  you  reside  in  or  near  any  large 
town. 

Try  and  dispose  of  your  kittens  at  or  about  eight  weeks 
old,  and  be  willing  to  take  a  rather  lower  price  instead  of 
keeping  them  till  they  reach  the  lanky  stage,  when  their 
sale  is  never  so  easy  or  satisfactory. 

Important  to  cat  fanciers  : 

"  If  you  your  lips  would  keep  from  slips, 

Five  things  observe  with  care  : 
Of  whom  you  speak,  to  whom  you  speak, 
And  how  and  when  and  where !  " 


Before  writing  "  Finis  "  to  these  chapters,  let  me  say  how 
pleased  I  have  been  with  the  many  grateful  letters  I  have  re- 
ceived telling  me  that  my  notes  in  Our  Cats  had  been  of 
such  service.  I  really  had  no  idea  these  hints  had  been  so 
useful  and  instructive.  All  these  kindly  expressions  en- 
couraged me  to  write  this  handbook  and  I  sincerely  hope 
that  it  will  be  the  means  of  forming  still  further  friendships 
and  of  forging  more  closely  the  links  that  already  bind  me 
to  all  true  lovers  of  the  dear  pussy-cats. 


INDEX 


ABYSSINIAN  cat,  the,  23 
America,  cats  in,  23,  97,  98, 

105,  106 

American  Cat  News ',  105 
Animal  Kreochyle,   36,  79, 

80,  81,  92 

Anaemia,  remedy  for,  28,  82 
"  Any  other  Colour  "  Class, 

22,  64 

Appetite,  loss  of,  46 
Archangel  cats,  106 
Artificial  heat,  29,  40,  41 
Asparagus,  cats  fond  of,  49 
Atlantic  Cat  Club,  97 


B 


BARKER,  E.  N.,  105 
Battersea    Home    for    Lost 

Dogs,  105 
Beef,  Raw,  as  meat,  26,  29, 

31,  44,  46,  48 
Beresford    Cat    Club    (Chi- 

.cago),  97,  98 
Bismuth,  80,  81 
Bite  of  a  cat,  116 
Black  cats  mated  with  Blues, 

55,  65,  66 


Black  Persian  cats,  17,  107, 
112,  114 

Blue  Persian  Cat  Society, 
18,  96,  97 

Blue  Persian  cats,  18,  65,  67 
standard  of  points  for,  98 

Blue  short-haired  cat,  22 

Blue  Tabbies,  56,  65 

Blue  tortoiseshell,  56 

Blues,  mating  of,  56,  63,  65, 
67 

Bone  meal  for  cats,  49 

Bovril,  36 

Bowels,  inflammation  of  the, 
78 

Bragg's  Charcoal  for  diar- 
rhoea, 87 

Brand's  Essence,  43,  89,  94 

Bread  and  milk  for  kittens, 

45 

Breakfast,  food  for,  25 
Breeding,  55-61 

practical  hints  on,  62- 

76 

Breeds  and  varieties,  17-23 
British  Cat  Club,  97 
Bronchitis,  79 

remedy  for,  80 
Brown  Tabbies,  20,  56,  63, 

65,  97 
Bunny  cat,  the,  25 


INDEX 


CAMDEN  Town  Institution  for 
Lost  and  Starving  Cats, 
104,  114 

Canker,  91 

Canker,  remedy  for,  80 

Care  and  management,  24- 

3° 
practical  hints  on,  31- 

54 
Castor  oil,  84,  89 

Cat,  to  poultice  a,  51 
Cat  Club,  the,  95,  96 

Registration   Rules   of, 

60 
Cat  Clubs  and  Cat  Homes, 

95-106 

Col  Journal,  The,  105 
Cats,  Bone  meal  for,  49 

cobby,  1 08 

deafness  of  white,  108 

dosing  of,  51 

•ears  of,  90 

•ear  tufts  in  Persian,  72, 
116 

feeding  of,  25,  43,  48 

fleas  and  lice  in,  50 

fond  of  asparagus,  49 

fondest  of  ribbon  grass, 

47 

gelded,  30,  53 

hake  for,  49 

.horseflesh  for,  26,  48 

liow  to  administer  medi- 
cine to,  47,  118 

lentils  for,  47 

long-haired,  17,  60,  70 

macaroni  for,  44 

male,  39,  62,  67 

Maltese,  2  3, 98, 105, 106 


Cats  (continued)  :-— 
Manx,  22 
naturally  timid,  25 
on  approval,  112 
shedding  their  coats,  50, 

93 

sheep's  head  for,  48 
stud,   29,  39,   63,   no, 

116,  117,  118 
tripe  for,  45 
varieties  of  short-  and 

long-haired,  60 
vegetable  diet  for,  26, 47 
water  as  a  drink  for,  46, 

1 08 
Catteries, out-of-door,  28,  35, 

40 

fumigating,  54 
Chartreuse  cats,  106 
Chicago  Cat  Club,  97,  98 
Chinchilla  Cat  Club,  96 
Chinchillas,  19 

points  of,  20,  99 
standard  of  points  for, 
in  United  States,  101 
Coats,  care  of,  29,  50,  71,  75 
Cobby  cats,  108 
Colds,  remedy  for,  81 
Collar  for  cat,  108,  112,  117 
Condition  for  exhibition,  57, 

75 
Constipation,   remedies  for, 

74,  80,  81,  89 
"  Coon  Cat,"  American,  23, 

106 
Cox,  Mrs.   Carew,  and  her 

catteries,  105 

Cream  Persian  cats,  21,  64 
standard  of  points  for, 

100 
Crossing  of  breeds,  55,  65,67 


122 


INDEX 


D 

DEAFNESS  of  white  cats,  18, 

108 
Debility,  remedy  for,  80,  92, 

tonics  for,  91 
Diarrhoea,  86 

in  kittens,  28,  32 

remedy  for,  80 
Diseases  and  remedies,  77— 

94 

Disinfectants,  54,  113 
Distemper,  79 

remedies  for,  92,  in 
Dosing  of  cats,  51,  53,  118 
Dublin  Cats'  Home,  104 
Dysentery,  remedy  for,  80 


E 


EARS  of  cats,  17,  34,  62,  90, 

107 
Ear  tufts  in  Persian  cats,  72, 

116 
Eczema,  remedy  for,  88 

Black,  remedy  for  80,  87 
standard  of  points  for,  9 9 
Eggs  as  food,  49 
Enteritis,  78 

Entries  for  shows,  69,  70,  73 
Eucalyptus,  54,  80 
Eucryl    Company,  prepara- 
tions of  the,  54,  113 
Exhibiting,     57-61,    68-76, 

102 

Eyes,  17,  18,  21,  23,  52,  54, 
55>65»75»85, 109,111 
bad,  in  kittens,  68,  32 
weak,  85 

lotion  for,  86 


FEEDING   of    cats,   25,    36, 

.43. 

Fighting  cats,  how  to  sepa- 
rate,  112 

Fits,  remedies  for,  80,  90 
Fleas  and  lice  in  cats  and 
kittens,  28,34,  38,  50, 

5i 

remedy  for,  80,  82 
Food,  hints  on,  43 
Foster-mother,  selection  of  a, 

26 
Foster-mothers,  27,  33,  36, 

37,  n5 

Freeman's  foods  and  medi- 
cines, 25,  46,  77,  80,  84 

Fur  and  Feather •,  105 


G 

GASTRITIS,  78,  8 1 
Gelded  cats,  30,  53 
Gestation,  period  of,  26,  63 
Gordon,  Mrs.,  and  her  home 

for  starving  cats,  104 
Grass,  27,  47,  51,  93 

ribbon,  cats  fondest  of, 

47 


H 

HAKE  for  cats,  49 
Hampers,  36,  41,  69,  70,  72, 

75,  107,  109,  no 
versus  boxes,  41,  109 
Handling  of  cats,  25,  35,  37, 
112,  118 


INDEX 


123 


Harper,  Miss,  and  her  cat- 
teries, 105 

Horseflesh  for  cats,  26,  48 
Hot  water  bottles,  27,  41 
Hovis  bread,  44 


INFLUENZA,  79,  81,  118 
Insurance  of  cats,   70,  no, 
117 


J 


JAMES,  Mr.,  78,  80,  91 
Jaundice,  remedy  for,  80 
Judging   at  exhibitions,  57, 
70,  71,  76 


KEATING'S  Powder,  38 
Kittens,  bad  eyes  in,  28,  32, 

85 

best  way  to  destroy,  113 
bread  and  milk  for,  45 
care  and   management 

of,  31-34 

diarrhea  in,  28,  86,  87 
feeding  of,  2  7 
fleas  and  lice  in,  28,  38 

5° 
remedy  for  worms   in, 

8o. 
sea-air      recommended 

for,  34,  119 
shedding      their     first 

teeth,  28,  33,  83,  84 
sleep  essential  to,  36 


Kittens  (continued)  : — 
tripe  for,  45 
when  they  become  cats, 

IJ5  . 
worms  in,  28 

Kreochyle,  36,  79,  80,8 1,  92 


LABELS,  exhibitors',   19,  70, 

74 

Lentils  for  cats,  47 
Lights  as  food,  26,  48,  90 
Liver  very  laxative,  46 
Long-haired  cats,  1 7 
varieties  of,  60 
Louisville  Cat  Club,  97 
Lubricating  a  cat's  throat,  52 


M 

MACARONI    for    cats    and 

kittens,  44 
Maine,  curious  cats  in  State 

of,  1 06 

Male  cats,  29,  39 
"  Maltese "     cat,    the,     23, 

1 06 

Mange,  remedy  for,  80 
Manx  Cat  Club,  97 

cats,  22,  57,  115 
Mating,  26,  55,  62-68,  118 
Meat,  44,  46,  48 
Medals,   advice  to   winners 

of,  72 
Medicine,  how  to  administer 

to  cats,  47,  118 
Mellin's  Food,  25,  27 
Melox  Food,  the,  25 


124 


INDEX 


Midland  Counties  Cat  Club, 

97 
Milk,  27,  32,  34,  36,  46,  47, 

52,  108 
Morgan,  Mrs.,  and  her  home 

for  lost  and  starving  cats, 

104,  114 

Mothaline,  41,  80 
Mother  and  young,  care  and 

management  of,  34-39 


N 

NAMES  for  cats,  112,  114 
National  Cat  Club,  95 

entry  form,  103 

Registration  Rules  of,  58 
Neuters,  30,  53 
Northern       Counties      Cat 

Club,  96 
Noses  of  cats,  113 


OATMEAL  as  food,  25,  43 
Orange  cats,  20 

crossed  with  a  Black,  55 
self  or  tabby,  standard 

of  points  for,  100 
Orange,   Cream,  Fawn  and 

Tortoiseshell  Society,  96 
Our  Cats,  105,  114 


PACIFIC  Cat  Club,  97 
Paper  for  bedding,  29,  42, 
109 


Paralysis,  remedy  for,  80 
Pedigrees,  114,  117 
Persian  cat,   tail  of  a,    107, 

115,  116 
Persian  cais,  17,  38,  107 

breeds  and  varieties,  1 7- 

21 

ear  tufts  in.  72,  116 
Phoenix  Food,  the,  25,  27 
Photographing  kittens,  in, 

114 
Playthings  for  kittens,    112, 

114 

Post-mortems,  117 
Poulticing  a  cat,  5 1 


RAIL,  sending  cats  by,  69, 

109,    III,   112,   117 

Remedies  for  diseases,  80 
Ribbons  for  shows,  69,  74, 

112 
Ringworm,  remedy  for,  80, 

87 
Royal  Cat  of  Siam,  the,  22, 

57 
standard  of  points  for, 

101 

Russian  cat,  the,  22,  82 
points  for,  102 


SALUBRENE,  54 

Salvo,  his  food  and  medi- 
cines, 25,  77, 80, 84, 88,  93 

Sanitary  pans,  29,  32,  40, 
41,  43,  114 


INDEX 


125 


Sardines,  45 
Scottish  Cat  Club,  96 
Scratching  out  coats,  117 
Scurvy  spots,  51,  80 
remedy  for,  87 
Sea-air     recommended    for 

kittens,  34,  119 
Self-coloured    cats,   17,   64, 

65>  "5 
Shaded  Silvers,  19,  67 

points  of,  20,  99 
Sheep's  heads  as  food,  48 
Short-haired  Cat  Club,  96 
cats,  17,  21 

standard  of  points 

for,  1 02 
varieties  of,  60 
Shows   and  exhibiting,  51- 

61,  68-76,  102 
Show  pens,  training  for,  72 
Shows,   returning  from,  68, 

72,  74,  75,  93 
Siamese  cats,  22,  5?,  62 
Siamese  Club,  96 
Sickness,   remedy    for,    47, 

80 
Silver  and    Smoke    Persian 

Cat  Society,  96 
Tabbies,  20 

standard  of  points 

for,  99 
Silvers,  19 

points  of,  20,  99 
Skin  complaints,  87 
Sleep  essential    to    kittens, 

36 

Smokes,  points  of,  19,  100 
Snuffles,  66,  88,  114 
remedy  for,  80 
Society  for  the  Protection  of 
Cats,  104 


Spanish  cats,  106 

Special   prizes,    68,   71,   73, 

74,  H3 

Spotted  Tabbies,  21 
Spratts'  cat  travelling  baskets, 

no 
Cod   Liver  Oil   Puppy 

Biscuits,  43 
Stomach,    inflammation     of 

the,  78 

Stud  cat,  selection  of,  63 
cats,  28,  39,  no,  117 
fees,  39,  64 

Sulphur,  use  of,  26,  51,  54 
Sunburn,  107 
Supper,  food  for,  26 


TABBIES,  Brown,  20,  56,  63, 

65>  97 

Silver,  standard  of  points 
for,  99 

spotted,  21 
Tallies,  metal,  75 
Tape  worm,  52,  84 

remedy  for,  80 
Teething,  remedy  for,  80 
Temperature  of  cats,  90 
Throats,  remedies  for  sore, 

52,9o 
Tortoiseshell    cat,    the,    21, 

66 

Blue,  56 
crossed  with   a    Black, 

55 
standard  of  points  for, 

101 

Tom  very  rare,  66 
Tripe  for  cats,  45 


126 


INDEX 


U 

UNITED  States,  cats  in  the, 

23>  97,  98>  I05»  jo6 
Clubs  in  the,  97 


VEGETABLE  diet  for  cats,  26,47 
Visits,  registering  of,  67,  68, 
118 

W 

WARD,  Mr.,  38,  77,  78,  80, 
87 


Water  as  a  drink  for  cats,  45, 

46,  1 08 
Weak  limbs,  remedy  for,  26, 

80 
Weir,  Mr.  Harrison,  pioneer 

of  cat  shows,  95 
Whiskers,  118 
White  Persian  cats,   18,  65, 

70,  112 

cats  not  deaf,  108 
spots,  1 8,  64 
Winslow,  Miss,  106 
Worms,  52,  83 
in  kittens,  28 
remedy  for,  28,  50,  80, 
82,  84,  115 


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